Apple is working with suppliers to make a 12.9-inch iPad by early next year, according to Bloomberg.
Although is was rumored that Apple was working on a larger iPad throughout 2013, we have yet to see such a tablet come out of Cupertino. Will 2015 finally be the year of the mythical iPad Maxi?
At 12.9-inches, an iPad that size would basically be a MacBook Air without a keyboard running iOS. Apple is rumored to be working on a split-screen multitasking mode for iOS 8, and such a feature would make a lot of sense for running apps side-by-side on a larger iPad.
Sales of the 9.7-inch and 7.9-inch iPads have been on the decline in recent quarters, so Apple likely sees any chance to diversify its lineup as a good thing. New iPads are expected to come out this fall, although little has been reported about them beyond the usual faster hardware and possible addition of Touch ID.
Previous reports said Quanta Computer was Apple’s main partner for manufacturing the 12.9-inch iPad. Last summer, The Wall Street Journal mentioned that Apple was prototyping iPads at that size. In December of last year, Digitimes said Apple was on track to debut a 12.9-inch tablet in October of 2014.
Source: Bloomberg