Analyst Skeptical About Imminent Launch for 12.9-Inch 'iPad Pro'

A rumored 12.9-inch iPad may still have significant development time left, according to an analyst at IHS, a supply chain research firm. According to CNET, IHS analyst Rhoda Alexander said there were a number of different larger panels, that could be potentially for a larger iPad, floating around display manufacturers -- but not in volumes necessary for an imminent launch.

"Some manufacturers over the last six months have received sample quantities of a larger panel. They're playing around with a product that could possibly be an iPad-related product," she told CNET in a phone interview.

"Various sizes are being reported with 12.85 inches being one of the sizes," she said.

12_9_ipad_ipads_dark

Mockup of 12.9-inch iPad next to iPad Air and iPad mini

Alexander went on to say that IHS did not see significant shipments of any of the larger panels, and suggested that there may not be a market for iPads larger than the current 9.7-inch model. "We have to get a lot further down the line in terms of seeing really strong indicators from Apple that such a product exists, and we're just not at that point."

Samsung launched a 12.2-inch Galaxy tablet earlier this year with some reviewers saying the device was not very portable and awkward to hold for long periods of time.

According to a research report from Evercore analyst Patrick Wang, Apple's larger iPad may be aimed at the enterprise market. Recent rumors have indicated that the 12.9-inch iPad will launch no earlier than the third quarter of 2014.

Related Roundup: iPad Pro
Buyer's Guide: iPad Pro (Neutral)

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 18

iOS 18.3 Coming Soon: Here's What's New

Monday January 13, 2025 5:33 am PST by
iOS 18.3 is currently in beta for developers and public beta testers. So far, the upcoming iPhone software update is very minor in scope. Below, we outline what is new in iOS 18.3 so far. The only potential new feature coming to iPhones with iOS 18.3 so far is robot vacuum support in the Home app, but this functionality is not yet live. Apple is laying the groundwork for the feature,...
new magsafe charger

Apple Releases Updated MagSafe Charger Firmware

Tuesday January 14, 2025 11:30 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the 25W MagSafe Charger that is compatible with the iPhone 12 and later and the latest AirPods and Apple Watch models. The updated firmware is version 2A143, up from the 2A138 firmware that the accessory shipped with. In the Settings app, you'll see a different version number than the internal firmware number. The 2024 MagSafe charger was...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 1 Redux

'iPhone 17 Air' Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Wednesday January 15, 2025 7:16 am PST by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the "ultra-thin" device. Overall, the "iPhone 17 Air" is shaping up to be a mixed bag. Due to its thinness, the device is expected to have some limited specifications compared to the iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, only a single speaker, no SIM...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 8 New Features

Thursday January 9, 2025 5:45 am PST by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. iPhone 17 Pro concept based on rumors Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of January 2025: More aluminum: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models ...
HomePod mini and Apple TV

HomePod Mini 2 and New Apple TV Launch Timeframe Narrowed Down

Sunday January 12, 2025 4:11 pm PST by
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman recently reported that Apple plans to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models this year, and now he has provided a more precise timeframe. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said Apple is currently aiming to launch the new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year." That timeframe suggests the devices will be released at some point...
severance new york promo 1

Apple Promotes Severance Season 2 Premiere With Lumon Industries Pop-Up and Visits From Actors

Tuesday January 14, 2025 3:47 pm PST by
Ahead of the season two premiere of hit TV show Severance, Apple is marketing the show with a fun Severance pop-up at the Grand Central Terminal in New York City. Apple has assembled a glass cube with workstations that are identical to the setups that Lumon employees use on the show, complete with employees "working," doing yoga, playing catch, throwing paper airplanes, sipping coffee, and...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Expected This Year: Here's What We Know

Wednesday January 8, 2025 7:05 am PST by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch sometime in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as...
General Apps Messages Redux

Phishing Attacks Use This Simple Trick to Defeat iPhone Message Security

Monday January 13, 2025 6:11 am PST by
A new social engineering tactic is being used by cybercriminals to trick iPhone users into disabling iMessage's built-in phishing protection, in a bid to expose them to malicious links and scams, according to BleepingComputer. The scam exploits a security feature in iMessage that automatically disables links from unknown senders. Apple told the outlet that when users reply to these messages...

Top Rated Comments

HiRez Avatar
143 months ago
"Analyst" is skeptical? Shouldn't everyone be skeptical?
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lk400 Avatar
143 months ago
One analyst says that the product another analyst made up isnt ready yet. Analystception.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jasonefmonk Avatar
143 months ago
I think the app grid starts to fail with that many icons. It's reminds me of the things I don't like about Launchpad.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
organerito Avatar
143 months ago
Musicians like me who have already left paper behind would love this size. Average music is 8 1/2 x 11 and larger, and tough on the eyes with the standard iPad. I've been hoping for a while that this rumor is true.

I am there with you!
I am an organist. if I play a two-keyboard organ, the iPad is still ok. If I play any organ with more than 3 keyboards, the iPad is too small.
People in orchestras, choirs would love to have a 8 1/2 x 11 iPad. The only complain I always hear about the iPad as a music sheet reader is its small size.
I would two iPads Pro on release day.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
melendezest Avatar
143 months ago
Who is this product aimed at?

Pro users (better off using MacBook Pro if they are doing serious work)
Regular users (they will use iPad or iPad mini)

*Sigh*

"Pro Users". "Serious work". Why does everyone like to oversimplify everything and put it in a box?

People are using the iPad for "serious work". They are getting paid for it. Hence, "Pros" are using iPads. Perhaps you mean "computing intensive tasks" as the only instance of "serious work"?

Who is this product aimed at? Anyone who likes or can benefit from a bigger screen, more typing real-estate, the iPad app ecosystem, and does not require the high-powered laptop to do autocad or whatever. Musicians would definitely be all over it.

Something like this:



or this:



or this:

Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Alighieri Avatar
143 months ago
Musicians want this!

Musicians like me who have already left paper behind would love this size. Average music is 8 1/2 x 11 and larger, and tough on the eyes with the standard iPad. I've been hoping for a while that this rumor is true.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)