Apple Thinks You Want An Even Larger 12.9-Inch iPad

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) thinks you want an even larger iPad. Bloomberg, quoting unnamed sources, reported Tuesday the Cupertino, California, tech titan is reported working on its largest iPad ever. The next iPad model is rumored to have a screen measuring 12.9 inches diagonally, dwarfing Apple’s current models -- the 9.7-inch iPad Air and the 7.9-inch iPad Mini.

While smartphone users have expressed their desire for larger phones in recent years, it has yet to be seen whether or not a larger iPad would prompt a similar demand in the tablet industry.

The 12.9-inch will be Apple’s largest iPad ever, surpassing a number of its competitors, including Microsoft’s (NASDAQ:MSFT) 12-inch Surface Pro 3 and Samsung’s (KRX:005930) 12.2-inch Galaxy Note Pro. But it doesn’t look like it will surpass some of the largest tablets on the market, which have displays as large as 13.3 inches from Toshiba and other manufacturers.

Despite the decline of consumer demand for tablets, analysts expect the bulk of tablet growth to come from emerging markets, schools, governments and companies. Those growing markets could show promise for Apple as it looks to boost its iPad sales. But it may find some competition in schools, as districts have shown increased interest in deploying Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Chromebooks in place of the Apple iPad.

The iPad joins a number of devices rumored to sport a larger screen in 2014, including the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and the 5.5-inch iPhone 6L.