12.9-inch iPad could arrive next year

The so-called "iPad Pro" has been in the rumor mill for a long time but the Cupertino company did not say anything about it so far. According to some of the recent rumors we heard earlier this year, Apple was expected to unveil the 12.9-inch tablet during 2014. Unfortunately, a recent report denies this information, but also reveals that the iPad Pro tablet may be ready for launch next year.

According to industry insiders familiar with this matter who spoke to Bloomberg, Apple's suppliers are already preparing to begin manufacture of the company's largest iPad ever and the process should begin in the first quarter of 2015. The same sources also confirmed the 12.9-inch screen size of the tablet, which has been mentioned by similar leaks in the past as well. They also revealed that Apple has been working on the next-gen large touch-screen devices "for at least a year" already.

Apple is expected to release an updated iPad with the same 9.7-inch screen size as before, but also a new iPad mini, both to be available in time for this year's holiday season. A large-screen iPad could also help the company regain some of the market share lost to phablets, especially those powered by Google's Android mobile system.