My iPad is vintage. Is it useless?

If this is the very first, original 2010, 1st gen iPad, that is a 13-1/2 year old iPad and, yes, is essentially, useless, for many years, now.

Sorry.

It's almost 2024.

iPadOS 17 is here!

A lot has happened with iPad, iOS/iPadOS in over 13 years.

You really need to seriously consider a purchase of a new iPad model OR a much, MUCH “newer” and less expensive, refurbished or used iPad models, from better known, trusted sources, like other Apple product/device retailers/resellers, some locally or from online, on the Web/Internet, capable of running the latest iPadOS versions.

There are PLENTY of newer, older iPad models that can run the latest, current versions of iPadOS.

If you need OR ONLY able to afford to purchase older, less expensive iPad models, look at older IPads from 2017 and later.

All of these older model iPads below CAN, currently, run the latest releases of iPadOS 17.

2017, 12.9 inch screen iPad Pro models ( 1st gen Pencil support )

2017, 10.5 inch screen iPad Pro models ( 1st gen Pencil support )

( The above iPad models, probably, are at their last full year of full Apple OS support. )

2018 11 inch or 12.9 inch screen iPad Pro models ( 2nd gen Pencil support )

2020 11 inch or 12.9 inch screen iPad Pro models ( 2nd gen Pencil support )

2018, 9.7 inch screen iPad 6th gen models ( 1st gen Pencil support )

2019, 10.2 inch screen iPad 7th gen models ( 1st gen Pencil support )

2020, 10.2 inch screen iPad 8th gen models ( 1st gen Pencil support )

2020, 10.2 inch screen iPad 8th gen models ( 1st gen Pencil support )

2021, 10.2 inch screen iPad 9th gen models ( 1st gen Pencil support )

2018, 11 inch or 12.9 inch screen iPad Pro models ( 2nd gen Pencil support )

2019, 10.5 inch screen iPad Air 3rd gen models ( 1st gen Pencil support )

2021 10.9 inch screen iPad Air 4th gen models ( 2nd gen Pencil support )

2019, 7.9 inch screen iPad Mini 5th gen models ( 1st gen Pencil support )

2021 8.3 inch screen iPad Mini 6th gen models ( 2nd gen Pencil support )

Get the largest internal data storage model you can afford as NO Apple iOS device has ANY expandable storage.

I am sorry that you had to learn all of this, but this does not change any of the facts regarding these old iOS devices.

Sorry & Best of Luck to You!

The tags appended to your post suggest that you have an iPad with iOS5 installed. As such, you likely have an obsolete first generation iPad.

The iPad1 (a 32-bit architecture device) cannot be updated beyond iOS 5.1.1. You may need to consider that compatible Apps for older models of iPad are no longer available - as App Developers have dropped all support for 32-bit devices and many for iOS versions preceding iOS11/12/13. All 32-bit Apps have been retired and removed from the Apple App Store; as such, you’ll not be able to (re)download or install them - which may severely limit the usefulness and utility of your iPad. If you want or need to access most current Apps, requiring more recent versions of iOS than your iPad is capable, you’ll need to consider replacement of your iPad with a newer or current model.

Of current models, even the entry-level iPad9 has specifications and capabilities that will massively outperform you current iPad - and is compatible with the vast majority of current Apps. Other models are more powerful still.

Whether or not you are able to update any iPad to a newer version of iOS/iPadOS will be dictated by the iPad model - and the currently installed version of iOS. You can find this information here:

Settings > General > About

Not sure which iPad you have? Identify your iPad model.

Here is a list of the highest version of iOS supported by the older models of iPad (for simplicity - “generations” are shortened to a number) that are restricted in their ability to be updated:

32-bit devices (obsolete)

iPad1 - iOS 5.1.1

iPad2, iPad3 and iPad mini1 - iOS 9.3.5 (WiFi Only models), iOS 9.3.6 (WiFi & Cellular)

iPad4 - iOS 10.3.3 (WiFi Only), iOS 10.3.4 (WiFi & Cellular)

64-bit devices

iPad Air1, iPad mini2 and iPad mini3 - iOS 12.5.7

iPad Air2, iPad mini4 - iPadOS 15.7.7

Newer models are all able to be updated to the current version, iPadOS 16.5.1

• iPad Pro (all models)
• iPad Air (3rd generation and later)
• iPad (5th generation and later)
• iPad mini (5th generation and later)

As for connection to WiFi, consider that your Router, to which you are attempting to connect, may be configured to require support for security features that are not supported by older versions of iOS. If you have an older iPad and your router is configured for WPA3 or WPA3/WPA2 mixed authentication, you will need to change this to WPA2 PSK(AES). Newer models of iPad support WPA3.

If your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch won’t connect to a Wi-Fi network - Apple Support

Recommended settings for Wi-Fi routers and access points - Apple Support

Old iOS devices, running iOS 10 and earlier are 32-bit devices. Apple DID issue plenty of notices, back during 2015-2016, that they were abandoning all 32-bit devices for all 64-bit devices that Apple started producing in 2015.

Apple issued these notices were given for well over a year to give all iOS device users,,at that time, plenty of time to purchase a new devices to make the transition from 32-bit iOS devices to 64-bit iOS devices.

Third party app support for older, 32-bit iOS mobile devices from 2015 and earlier WERE still being supported until around 2019.

Many apps that supported iOS 5 and earlier were ended much earlier, by third party app developers, with third software support drying up for iOS 5 and earlier devices by the end of 2016.

Third party app developers are the ones to make a decision to stop supporting older mobile OS versions, or not, and NOT by Apple’s decisions.

The simple fact is a 2010, 1st gen iPad is quicky approaching 14 years old and was rendered fully obsolete by around 2018/2019.

Sorry, but electronics technology marches on at a fairly rapid pace.

Most regard the first gen, 2010 iPad as an “early adopter” model as full Apple support for this device, ended much more quickly than it didi for later model iOS/iPadOS devices.

Most iPad models today receive between 6-7 years of full OS support, from Apple ( the 2014 iPad Air 2 got nearly 8 years of full OS support from Apple ).

Third party app developers support iPads, after Apple ends full support, for about 3 more years,,or so.

So, that is a total of between 10 to 11 years of Apple mobile device support.

Many older iPad models are still receiving security “point” updates to keep devices that are 6-7 years old, or slightly older, up to date with current security protocols.

If you just own a very old, 2010 1st gen iPad, a WHOLE lot has with iOS ( now iPadOS ) in almost 14 years.

iPads are much more powerful devices today.

As I listed, many, MANY older iPad models that support the latest iPadOS 17 that you maybe able to purchase as refurbished, through Apple or other Apple product resellers, or through the used, secondhand user market.

Not everyone can afford to buy a new device. It was fine to use as just a device to connect to the internet or store my information, but now I can’t even get my stuff off of it. It’s a bunch of classist BS. At the very least, a notice should have gone out to notify users that this was going to happen.

If you decide to go down the path of purchasing used, secondhand Apple devices, from individual Apple device sellers, here is how to avoid purchasing an Apple iOS/iPadOS device with user activation lock, in the future.

If you purchase any iPad, or any Apple iOS device, for that matter, used/second hand, online, or even in-person, make sure this iPad does NOT have user activation lock and has been properly reset for sale.

A properly reset for sale iPad should initially power up to an animated, multi-language “Welcome” screen.

DO NOT take the iPad seller's word that this iPad is user activation lock free!

We have seen plenty of used iOS device purchasers get scammed.

User Activation Lock can never be bypasss, circumvented or worked around IF there is no correct previous/original user information to be able to do so.

Apple doesn't get involved with ANY user activation locked, used/second-hand sold devices, either.

So, buyer beware!

If purchasing a used device in-person, power the iPad ON

If the iPad DOES NOT display the initial animated, multi-language “Welcome” screen, then pass on purchasing this iPad.

If the iPad powers up to any other screen, then forget purchasing this iPad.

You cannot trust that the seller actually has the correct needed info to properly reset the iPad back to factory settings right then and there before the actual purchase and exchange of money for the iPad, in question.

Pass on the device!

If you are purchasing this used iPad online ask the seller to provide multiple images, either online or be sent to you via email, showing this animated, multi-language “Welcome” screen of the interested in purchasing iPad model.

Even better, ask for a short video be sent to you showing this animated, multi-language “Welcome” screen, in action and in its entirety, posted to the online ad or emailed to you.

If the online iPad seller refuses any of these requests, pass on the iPad. DO NOT buy!

Good Luck to You!