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Apple is reportedly exploring iPad designs with supersized displays

Is it a tablet at that point, or just a laptop without a keyboard?

Chris Velazco/Engadget

The beefy 12.9-inch iPad Pro might seem downright modest in the future. According to 9to5Mac, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman claimed in his latest "Power On" newsletter that Apple was exploring iPads with even larger displays. Any potential products are still early and might take at least a "couple of years" to ship if they go ahead. Still, that Apple is considering an expansion would be notable — it hasn't ventured beyond 12.9 inches since launching the original iPad Pro in 2015.

A previous rumor from Gurman claims the iPad Pro will get a redesign in 2022 with a glass back that could support wireless charging. The screen size isn't expected to change, however.

A larger iPad could be risky. Many consider the current iPad Pro too large when it's not attached to a keyboard, and a bigger model might be that much more unwieldy. And when some complain that iPadOS doesn't take full advantage of existing iPad hardware, there might not be much to gain from the added visual real restate.

Apple might not be alone in thinking about size increases, however. Samsung is reportedly considering (if not actively developing) a 14.6-inch tablet that would easily eclipse the 12.4-inch Galaxy Tab S7. That's not including occasional niche models like the existing Galaxy View series. If a supersized iPad goes ahead, it may be as much about fending off the competition as anything else.