Foxconn, Apple's main manufacturing partner, is currently testing a larger iPad expected to launch next spring, possibly in March, a Chinese report claims. The device is
said to be in a late phase of testing, and with a screen due to measure either 11.4 or 12.9 inches. Apple's current flagship, the Air, uses the same 9.7-inch size employed since the first-generation iPad.
The report is consistent with a
Wall Street Journal account from July, which said that Apple was
working on 13-inch iPad prototypes. If the company is developing an oversized iPad, Apple could be hoping to mirror the MacBook lineup, where the "Air" designation originally stems from. An "iPad Pro" might add both a bigger screen and other advanced features, like extra ports, putting Apple in better competition with high-end Windows 8 tablets like the Surface Pro 2.