Apple's new 12-inch iPad Air case images leaked

After tasting epic success thanks to the big-screened iPhone 6, fresh leaks suggest that Apple Inc. is now gearing up to launch a giant-sized iPad.

French blog Nowhereelse.fr has posted a new image of a case that’s supposedly custom designed for Apple’s forthcoming 12.2-inch iPad Air Plus.

Even as rumours about a giant iPad are fast gaining traction, there have been conflicting reports about whether its display will be 12.2 inches or even bigger at 12.9 inches.

After launching the biggest iPhone ever – the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus – Apple realised that in contrast to the belief of its founder Steve Jobs, size does matter for today’s users who like to do more than just casual browsing on their handheld devices, and don't mind the obvious inconvenience of holding on to a bigger device.

Read: Steve Jobs wrong: iPhone 6 helps Apple set record

Apple sold a record 74.5 million iPhone units in the final quarter of 2014 – or about 810,000 iPhones every day, a whopping 90 per cent more compared with just a little over 39 million units in the previous quarter.

It will be no surprise, then, if Apple takes the same learning to iPad as well and the next iPad would be significantly larger than the current iPad Air 2.

The image posted by the French blog was reportedly taken at Apple manufacturer Foxconn’s factory in China and is said to measure 12.2 inches high by 8.7 inches wide.

Known among Apple’s fanboys as the iPad Pro or iPad Air Plus or the megapad, the device is expected to be unveiled sometime between April and June this year.

The Cupertino-based technology giant used to hold its annual iPad events in March before moving them to October. The company recently confirmed that its much-awaited Apple Watch will begin shipping in April, and there is every chance that it will hold an even earlier than that – perhaps in March – to give more details about its wearable.

Fans will be hoping to hear about the megapad at the same event. The latest leak, however, follows a leaked sketch from last week that claimed to show one corner of the so-called megapad.

That image was posted on Chinese social network Weibo.

According to a previous report by Daily Mail, which quotes the Japanese magazine Mac Fan, the new iPad will also include the new A9 processor, will boast four speakers so as to offer stereo sound in any orientation, and will have a 5K display.

Here’s a YouTube video:


Bloomberg News had, last year, reported that Apple might release a 12.9-inch iPad in 2015 but that was not substantiated by Apple.

By any measure, nevertheless, the forthcoming iPad is expected to be substantially bigger than the current 9.4-inch iPad Air 2, and that may not be a bad thing.

According to experts, as phones become larger, more people are using them for watching videos or reading – making their tablets almost redundant.

Apple’s own recent results that made it the world’s most profitable company ever show that iPad sales actually declined by 18 per cent year-on-year, leading to a 22 per cent decline in iPad revenues.

So, is bigger better? Steve Jobs may not have agreed, but that does seem to be the case now.