Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) may be thinking big for 2014. A new rumor surfaced that Apple could launch a larger iPad tablet sometime next year. DigiTimes reports the 12.9 inch iPad would come out in October 2014. This tablet would primarily target the education market in the United States. DigiTimes cited unnamed sources for the report.
Larger iPad could change computer market
The larger iPad will likely use touch-screen panels from Quanta Computer. Sources also predict this larger tablet could help phase out the 11-inch MacBook Air, a definitive sign of tablets replacing laptop computers. Another interesting Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) rumor from DigiTimes speculates on a larger iPhone in the near future. The device could be powered by a 20-nanometer processor created by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC for short).
This isn’t the first time reports surfaced of a larger iPad. Last summer, The Wall Street Journal reported Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) was considering larger displays for iPads and iPhones. The report also claimed Apple built an iPad prototype with a screen that’s slightly under 13 inches diagonally. And in September, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo speculated Apple will launch a phone that measures between 4.5 to 5 inches next year. Kuo also added that it’s unlikely the Cupertino-based tech giant will release anything larger than 5 inches because Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) likes to keep their phones to one-hand use.
Apple could maker larger iPhones
Phones with larger screens are part of the phablet trend. The tech company’s biggest competitors like Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94) (KRX:005930) and LG have already capitalized on this trend. There was speculation earlier this year that the iPhone 5S would be a phablet but that rumor turned out to be false. Whether or not Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) decides to get on the phablet train is up to them.
Right now, these reports are just rumors and nothing has been confirmed. Oftentimes, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) rumors are just that: rumors. Many rumors never come to fruition.
