iPad Pro, a 12.9-inch tablet, may still be in the works

All this talk of a new iPhone, but what about the iPad? Rumors about the tablet have been drowned out by chatter surrounding the iPhone 6. A new report suggests all the hubbub about the tablet ahead of the various iPhone leaks might end up being true after all.

A significant screen size bump is rumored to be coming yet again, with Apple making a 12.9-inch tablet. The name is still suspect, but various reports lean towards calling it the iPad Pro. This would likely be Apple's aim at taking on the Surface Pro from Microsoft, which is meant as a laptop replacement.

The iOS platform has seen its share of productivity tweaks lately, with apps like Pages and Keynote offered up for free in the app store. Microsoft has also released their Office for mobile on iOS ahead of any other platform, so a laptop-challenging iPad would have some enterprise and productivity angles straight away. It would also provide a touchscreen experience some were hoping Apple wold bring to the Mac.

This all comes after a popular iPad mini refresh last year, which brought a Retina display. Apple is also said to be pressing forward with Touch ID on all future iOS devices, like the iPad mini and Air. If Apple did implement a third size of tablet, it would match their smartphone lineup, in which a 4.7 & 5.5-inch screen size are said to be complimenting the 4-inch form factor.

Via: Ubergizmo