Rumor: Foxconn Testing Larger iPad for Release Next Year
Yet more rumors of a larger form factor iPad have emerged.
Apple just launched two new iPads, but the rumor mill is already whispering about what the next update will bring. Word on the street is Apple partner Foxconn is testing a much bigger version of the iPad for next year. The current iPad is a 9-inch device, and Apple has a second, smaller iPad, the iPad Mini, rounding out the line. Could the company be adding an iPad XL to its portfolio next year?
AppleInsider cites Chinese tablet's new website, PadNews, in reporting that Apple is in the 'advanced stage of testing' a tablet that measures either 11.4- or 12.9-inches diagonally. The report mentions a March 2014 unveiling, which seems unlikely given that Apple's iPad refresh schedule follows a fall launch schedule. Then again, this would be a brand new device, so it's possible Apple could unveil it in the middle of the iPad's cycle.
This isn't the first time we've heard talk of a larger iPad, but Apple has offered no indication that it plans to add a third iPad to its line. Rumors of a larger iPad form factor first arrived earlier this year and then surfaced again in July with news that Apple was testing prototypes with 13-inch screens. What's unknown at this point is whether the larger device will sport the same resolution as the 9.7-inch model but will be stretched out across the physical space, or provide a higher ppi. Given that CEO Tim Cook said that 2014 would be a big year for Apple on the devices front, it wouldn't exactly be a shock to see a larger iPad next year.
The most recent iteration of the iPad was announced last month and is called the iPad Air. It's 20 percent thinner than the iPad 2 (7.5 mm vs. 8.6 mm), has a bezel that is 43 percent thinner, and is significantly lighter than the iPad 2, weighing in at just one pound (the iPad 2 weighs 1.4 pounds). Under the hood, you've got the same 64-bit A7 chip that powers the iPhone 5S, as well as a 9.7-inch Retina display (2048 x 1536 resolution), a 5-megapixel iSight camera, and a 10 hour battery life.
Apple also refreshed the iPad Mini, which finally has the Retina display we all longed for last year. It also runs on Apple's 64-bit A7 processor, quite a bump from the A5 chipset powering the original iPad Mini. It boasts a 5-megapixel iSight camera, and 10 hours of battery.
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southernshark it would make sense if it were marketed as a hybrid tablet/laptop. Still Apple rumors are mostly meaningless.Reply -
game junky This move makes sense (especially changing the title of their current flagship to the ipad "air") - should be interesting to see the specs and the design. It wasn't super surprising they removed the biometric scanner from their most recent launch, I would be very surprised if they decrease the DPI on the display just to accomodate a larger form factor. They had a rumor awhile back that the group that designed the Mac Air were going to work on an ipad form factor - wondering if would be similar to the Surface Pro: full desktop operating system w/ attachable keyboard. Not sure if there is a market out there for an Apple Tablet running OSX, but it's intriguing. Oh well, this probably isn't on my shopping list for next year regardless of the price point.Reply -
godfather666 I really hate to say this, but... this could be the beginning of the end of PCs as we know them.Reply
I think with this move Apple will be squeezing the PC market from all angles. I think this is a move to start replacing the MAC with ARM-based chips.
The ARM=based chips will be cheaper, have more features, and much more power efficient. It'll be hard to compete. Andoid and iOS take over Wintel and MAC.
I hope I'm wrong (I'm a desktop/PC kind of guy), but this may well turn out to be true. -
Prescott_666 My wife has an iPad, which she carries with her when she has an appointment that requires sitting in a waiting room. It's a good size for that use, but it's a little large for carrying. She also uses it on the couch for games and reading news on the internet, although it's too small and she usually ends up using her 15" laptop. A 7 inch mini for carrying, and a 13 to 15 inch iPad for the couch would be perfect.Reply
Also I really look forward to 64-bit ARM laptops and desktops. Linux is still not quite there, but Linux Mint is close. I really want Linus Mint Debian Edition with Cinnamon to get some of the rough edges smoothed off.
My Lenovo T61 laptop has a COA for Windows XP, and I don't want to deal with XP anymore, and I dont't want to buy a Windows 7 license for a computer that which after Windows 7 is installed will be worth less than Windows 7 costs, so I have Linux Mint with Cinamon on that, and it does everything I want to do with my laptop. -
scannall Random speculation.Reply
iPadPro
13" Retina
Low power custom Haswell.
Runs iOS as a tablet.
Plug it into your Thunderbolt display/dock and it loads OS X, replacing your desktop. -
tobalaz All Apple is trying to do is find out how large they can make their iPads and not require a 2nd soul of a Foxconn worker in order to run correctly.Reply