But just how big is Apple thinking of going with a supersized iPad?
The iPad Pro 2021 is 12.9 inches in diameter, but Apple is considering going bigger(Image credit: Apple)
Love your iPad but wish it was a bit bigger? Us too!
With iPadOS getting increasingly sophisticated over recent years, more and more of us are using our iPads for serious creative and productive work. So we reckon some extra screen real estate would be very helpful in taking full advantage of this. Not to mention being able to see our photos and videos in greater detail.
And it seems we're not the only ones. According to respected Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, it's something Apple is thinking about too.
“I’m told that Apple has engineers and designers exploring larger iPads that could hit stores a couple of years down the road,” he says in this newsletter.
The largest iPad available at the moment is the M1-chipped iPad Pro, which has a screen size of 12.9 inches, while Apple’s largest mobile computer is the 2019 16-inch MacBook Pro. Could we see an iPad close to that size, or even equal to it? Gurman doesn’t know, but he’s eagerly anticipating what Apple come up with.
“I’m liking the multitasking improvements so far in the iPad beta,” he says. “But I’d still like the ability to have four or five easily resizable and movable windows in front of me at once like I can on my Mac.” He adds that “a big iPad would be the perfect device for many people, including me, and would continue to blur the lines between tablet and laptop." Sentiments we'd heartily agree with.
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Don’t get too excited just yet, though. The idea of a bigger iPad is very much at the exploratory stage and so it's doubtless going to be a couple of years before we see iPads get bigger.
What's new for 2022
For 2022, meanwhile, Apple is reportedly developing a new iPad Pro chassis with a rear glass back, and there are expectations this will bring reverse wireless charging to the iPad for the first time.
As far as we know, though, this iPad will only be available in the standard 11-inch and 12.9-inch screen sizes, and we’ll probably have to wait until 2023 before we see bigger models come onto the market.
In a way that's frustrating. But on the plus side, we’d rather wait for Apple to get it right, rather than see them rush into a bigger iPad without thinking it through properly. Ideally, we’d love to see a larger iPad that’s able to run MacOS apps and let you to easily switch your work between mobile and desktop Apple devices. Here’s hoping...
Tom May is a freelance writer and editor specializing in art, photography, design and travel. He has been editor of Professional Photography magazine, associate editor at Creative Bloq, and deputy editor at net magazine. He has also worked for a wide range of mainstream titles including The Sun, Radio Times, NME, T3, Heat, Company and Bella.
