Apple's 12-inch iPad coming in Spring: report

The latest in a growing number of reports to claim a giant-sized Apple tablet is in development says that it will boast a 12.2-inch display and will be the same thickness as an iPhone.

Japanese tech site macotakara also states that the oversized iPad will feature stereo speakers and a second microphone and is being developed with the education as much as the enterprise market in mind.

A number of usually accurate sources, including expert analyst Ming-Chi Kuo have all corroborated that Apple has been working on a larger tablet for some time, but the macotakara report is the first to mention the device's sound system and to state that the company will be going with a 12.2-inch screen. Earlier reports have stated that the iPad would have a 12.9-inch screen.

However, there does appear to be a growing consensus that the latest addition to Apple's tablet line-up will be officially unveiled in Spring 2015.

According to the latest data from the Consumer Electronics Association, published at the start of October, tablets are high up on consumers' tech wishlists this holiday season. However, the latest figures from IDC show that Apple is losing market share to other tablet makers at a very fast rate.

Smartphones with larger displays are also attracting consumers that, until recently, would have snapped up a 7-inch tablet instead and so companies, including Apple, are trying to find ways of making their tablets stand out in the crowd.

Offering something that's a simple to use as an iPad but is as big as a notebook may well prove equally popular with families and business travelers.