Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) could introduce a drastic change to the screen size and form factor of its flagship tablet and smartphone line-up as the company is rumored to release a larger iPad in the second half of 2014, while a bigger iPhone could hit the market in the summer.
According to a new report from Taiwan’s DigiTimes on Monday, Apple could launch the next-generation iPad, presumably called the iPad 6, with a 12.9-inch screen, next October. The bigger iPad, which is expected to target the North American educational market, would be manufactured by Quanta Computer (TPE:2382), a Taiwan-based manufacturer of notebook computers and other electronic hardware.
The DigiTimes report also said that Apple originally debated between a 12.9-inch and 13.3-inch panel for the iPad 6, before settling on the 12.9-inch form factor. Referring to Samsung’s (KRX:005935) rumored plans to release 12-inch to 13-inch tablets, the report also stated that such large-screen tablets could ultimately hurt the demand for ultrabook models.
It was South Korean site, ETNews that first mentioned in May that a 12.9-inch iPad was in the works. The rumor was later supported by the Wall Street Journal in July, which said that Apple had asked its suppliers for screen designs measuring slightly under 13 inches, for a new iPad model.