When the iPad 3 released Apple called it "The new iPad" everywhere. So you had: - iPad ("iPad") - iPad 2 ("iPad 2" or "iPad 2nd generation") - iPad 3 ("The

When the iPad 3 released Apple called it "The new iPad" everywhere. So you had: - iPad ("iPad") - iPad 2 ("iPad 2" or "iPad 2nd generation") - iPad 3 ("The new iPad") - iPad 4 ("iPad with Retina display") So in late 2012 you had people shopping, and having to pick between "The New iPad" (last year's model), "iPad with Retina display" (this year's model), and the iPad Air. Apple stopped after that, going with iPad [type] [number] naming.