Massive 16-inch iPad could arrive next year

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Massive 16-inch iPad could arrive in 2024
An iPad the size the largest MacBook Pro is supposedly on the way.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple apparently plans to “grande size” the iPad. A version with a 16-inch display is reportedly being developed.

If true, this will be a considerable jump up from the Apple’s largest current tablet, which includes a 12.9-inch screen. And the device – perhaps called iPad Ultra – will have a display the same size as the largest MacBook Pro.

iPad keeps getting bigger and bigger

Apple’s iPad keyboard cases and Apple Pencil shows the company understands that its tablets are frequently used for professional tasks, from writing to painting. And many of the people who do so are likely chaffing with the relatively small size of current screens.

The original iPad was 9.7 inches. In 2015, the first 12.9-inch iPad Pro launched. And now Apple is allegedly ready to further expand its tablet offerings.

Word of an iPad with a 16-inch comes from The Information, citing an unnamed “person familiar with the project.”

And The Information thinks it knows the target market. “A 16-inch iPad would likely be geared toward creative professionals such as graphic artists and designers who prefer a larger screen,” notes the news site.

The larger display would require the casing to expand, naturally. That would make more room for additional ports. The 2022 iPad Pro still has only one USB-C port.

The super-size iPad is reportedly on Apple’s schedule for the fourth quarter of 2023. Price is unknown at this time, but it could be considerable: the largest iPad Pro starts at $1,099, and the “iPad Ultra” would have to be more. The 16-inch MacBook Pro starts at $2,499.

Previous unconfirmed reports have also indicated that an extra-large iPad is in the works, though the most recent of these indicated that it would sport a 14.1-inch display.

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