Apple is developing iPads larger than the standard 14-inch to 16 inch range. This would allow for more immersion when the iPad is docked with a keyboard. However, it's hard to see how an iPad Pro Max device would fit in the iPad line.Bloomberg reports that Apple's engineers and designers are currently looking into larger iPad models. If the tablet is to arrive in 2023, it would not be until then. According to the report, the 14-inch to 16 inch iPad could continue blurring the line between tablet and laptop.But would it? As an aside, we are talking about a touchscreen laptop that also has a tablet mode. This device would be a niche product and would not warrant the name iPad.Sometimes bigger is not always betterThe tablet versus laptop debate is a zero-sum affair in terms of size. As a consumer tablet, the smaller the ideal laptop size is, the more comfortable it becomes. It is also true that tablet comfort is more important than size.Both the 10.9-inch iPad Air and iPad Pro 11 inches are ideal for tablet use. They can still be used as small notebooks, even though they are smaller when connected to a keyboard. Apple's 12.9-inch iPad Pro is for those who prefer a larger screen for laptop mode.The iPad Pro blurs the line between tablet and laptop as it stands today.This rumored iPad Pro Max will primarily be a touchscreen tablet. If you are using an Apple Pencil to draw on the tablet, it might be a good idea to unpack it into a larger slate. It would be like grabbing a coffee tray to read the news or browse e-books for most people, who aren't digital artists or professional designers.The device could almost be seen extending into the territory of Surface Studio, Microsoft's 28-inch desktop computer that can be tilted down to a drawing mode for artists. This tablet is great for pros, but it's not the best choice for a niche audience.These massive tablets are not uncommon. The huge Samsung Galaxy View, a large TV that was also a tablet, blurred the line between small and big tablets in 2015. We pronounced that the Samsung Galaxy View was too large and insufficiently powerful. Samsung attempted again with the Galaxy View 2 three years later, but it was not successful. Both were original concepts that failed to catch on and are now discontinued.Even Lenovo, which has never seen a crazy-scientist product that it didn't want to try, has not made a tablet larger then 13 inches.However, that doesn't mean the rumored 14-inch or 16-inch iPad won't look great when docked with Apples Magic Keyboard. The screen is well-suited for sitting on a desk. It would be a great way to increase productivity by keeping four or more windows open at once. This could also make iPadOS a viable work platform. Apple would effectively make the iPad a touchscreen MacBook Pro if it allowed MacOS apps.Apple could use folding-display technology to make the tablet version of its device more practical. Although we have seen folding smartphones expand to become tablets, it is possible for folding displays to move in the other direction. Imagine a 16 inch screen that can fold down to a smaller tablet.Yes, but it is unlikely. This could be a more user-friendly version of the iPad Pro Max, which this report discusses. Folding could eliminate the zero-sum nature of tablet/laptop hybrids.Apple used to be a specialist in niche products for creative professionals. But that's not the case today. Apple will not ignore this market completely, but it has outgrown the need to invest in it. It is hard to imagine Apple suddenly investing in such a niche market, especially considering how long it took to fix a broken MacBook keyboard. The current 12.9-inch iPad Pro could also work well for this audience.A tablet so large that it is difficult to call an iPad, even if it was from a company that avoids confusing and bloated product lines, would be a shameful mistake. This concept is one of many Apple prototypes that never sees the light of day.Editors' Recommendations
