Apple to release 12.9-inch iPad in 2015, report says

Looking to spark iPad sales, Apple is developing a 12.9-inch model that will go into production early next year, a report Tuesday by Bloomberg said.

Apple remains the leader in the tablet market, but it has seen year-to-year iPad sales decline the last two quarters. Earlier this year, the Cupertino, Calif., giant said it would target the enterprise market to boost iPad sales, and in July it announced a partnership with IBM to develop business-centric apps for its devices.

With an iPad larger than any before it -- Apple currently sells 9.7- and 7.9-inch models -- Apple appears to be eyeing the enterprise market, said Jefferson Wang, a senior partner at IBB Consulting

“The under-10-inch tablets are great for consuming content in your lap, but when you’re actually trying to do work on it, you would need a bigger screen to see schematics, to input data or to manipulate spreadsheets,” Wang told The Times. “A business-ready tablet, if you will, at a price point lower than a thousand dollars could be interesting.”

Apple isn’t the only tech company coming out with larger-screen tablets. This summer, Microsoft released the Surface Pro 3 with a 12-inch screen that was larger than its two predecessors, and in the spring, Samsung released two tablets featuring 12.2-inch screens. Meanwhile in El Segundo, Fuhu is getting set to start selling enormous 20- and 24-inch tablets this fall.

The Bloomberg report also said Apple is also planning to update its 9.7-inch iPad and the iPad mini with new models in time for the holiday shopping season. Apple did not respond to a request for comment.

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