Is Apple working on a SUPER tablet? Leaked mould is latest image of the 12.2inch 'iPad Pro' set to launch later this year
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Rumours about an upcoming Apple 'super' tablet are gaining more traction today after an image was leaked that appeared to be a mould for the device.
The photo was reportedly taken at Apple manufacturer Foxconn's factory in China and is said to measure approximately 12 inches high by 8.7 inches wide.
It follows a leaked sketch from last week that claimed to show one corner of the so-called megapad, iPad Pro or iPad Air Plus.
The photo of the mould (pictured) was reportedly taken at Apple manufacturer Foxconn's factory in China. Experts have estimated that the mould would produce a tablet that measures 12 inches in height, 8.7 inches wide and 0.27 inches deep (305.3mm x 220.8 mm x 7mm).
The latest image was posted on Chinese social network Weibo.
If the rumours are true, the iPad Pro would be significantly larger than the current iPad Air 2.
Experts have estimated that the mould would produce a tablet that measures 12 inches in height, 8.7 inches wide and 0.27 inches deep (305.3mm x 220.8 mm x 7mm).
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By comparison, the iPad Air 2 is 9.4 inches by 6.7 inches by 0.24 inches (240mm x 169.5mm x 6.1mm).
The iPad Air 2 has a 9.7-inch display, while the iPad Pro is rumoured to have a 12.2-inch screen.
This would put the Pro on par with Samsung's 12.2-inch Galaxy Note Pro, which launched in February.
Last week's leaked sketch, also reportedly taken by an employee who works at Foxconn seemed to show a grille that will also boast four speakers for stereo sound.
The image was released by French website Nowhere Else, which has previously leaked details from unannounced smartphones and Apple gadgets which proved to be true, citing a Foxconn source.
The source said that initial testing for the iPad Air Plus was stopped in the summer and Apple's suppliers will soon start mass production of the tablet.
The sketch suggests that the tablet will look similar to the iPad Air 2 in design, with rounded corners and the same standby button, rear camera, microphone and volume buttons placement.
However, seemingly confirming rumours that the larger tablet will offer stereo sound, there appears to be a speaker grill on the top of the shell.
Japanese magazine Mac Fan claimed in December that the iPad Air Plus will also feature a much faster A9 processor and is set to launch between April and June.
By comparison, the iPad Air 2 (pictured) is 9.4 inches x 6.7 inches by 0.24 inches (240 mm x 169.5 mm x 6.1 mm). Sources have suggested different launch times for the iPad Air Plus, but the general consensus is that the supersized tablet may make its debut before the summer
A leaked photo of a sketch (pictured) reportedly taken by an employee who works in a Foxconn factory, where iPads are made, also suggests that the rumours of an 'iPad Air Plus' with a 12.2 inch screen, are true
Bloomberg and other publications reported that Apple was planning on releasing the device sometime in early 2015, while a recent report from The Wall Street Journal said the Californian firm had postponed mass production of the larger iPad from December 2014 into next year as suppliers struggled to meet demand for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus launch.
These designs showed the gadget as just 7mm thick, but the size of the screen is uncertain, with rumours suggesting measurements between 12 inches and 12.9 inches.
The first suggestion of a supersized tablet came just weeks after claims that the large screen size of the iPhone 6 Plus was impacting on iPad usage.
The release of Apple's iPhone 6 Plus means there is now only a 2.4-inch difference between the size of the phablet's screen, and the display on its iPad mini.
Analysis has revealed that as phones become larger, more people are using them for watching videos or reading - making their tablets almost redundant.
The iPad Air 2 has a 9.7-inch display, while the iPad Pro is rumoured to have a 12.2-inch screen.This would put the Pro on par with Samsung's Galaxy Note Pro, which launched last February (pictured)
The iPad Air Plus is expected to have a 12.2inch screen or even larger, dwarfing the iPad Mini with its 7.9inch screen (left) and iPad Air (right) with a 9.7 inch screen
A study by Pocket - an app that lets users save webpages, videos and other content for reading - recently found that people who upgraded to an iPhone 6 Plus use their tablets 36 per cent less than before.
It analysed more than two million articles and videos that were opened using the app, and compared the before and after behaviour in people who previously owned an iPhone 5, 5C and 5S and those who now own an iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.
It also looked at the use of tablets by the same people.
A survey comparing the before-and-after behaviour of iPhone and iPad users revealed that people with an iPhone 5S use their phone 55% of the time, but this increases to 72% for the iPhone 6 and 80% for the iPhone 6 Plus - both at the detriment of the iPad, perhaps explaining why Aple is planning a larger one
Pocket also saw users with both an iPhone and an iPad watched significantly more content as soon as they upgraded to an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus. Those with the iPhone 6 (centre) opened 33% more articles and videos inside Pocket than they did with a 5S (left), and those with a 6 Plus (right) opened 65% more items than before
'The bigger your phone's screen, the more time you'll spend reading and watching on it,' explained the researchers in a blog post.
'In fact, the bigger your phone's screen, the more you'll read and watch as a whole.'
It discovered that users who upgraded to an iPhone 6 now view content on their phones 72 per cent of the time, up from 55 per cent when they owned on a smaller screen.
Pocket also saw that users with both an iPhone and an iPad watched significantly more content as soon as they upgraded to an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus.
But, a larger screen does make the smartphone less portable and Pocket noticed that people with an iPhone 6 Plus read 22 per cent less on their morning commutes than those with a smaller model.
Recent figures from Pocket also found that two-and-a-half more Pocket users are opting for an iPhone 6 as opposed to a 6 Plus.
'This tells us that, at least for now, convenience and portability trump a better, and bigger, entertainment and reading experience.'
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