According to some sources Apple is readying to release a 12.9 inch variant of their extremely popular iPad devices. This is not the first time that this rumor has come to surface, but now the sources are pegging the release of this device to be in the early part of 2014. In the past Apple has been pretty routine about their device announcements, they generally are spaced out about a year from each other, and this would fall short of that timeline. Only two short months ago Apple released their iPad Air, and just recently they were able to bring the iPad mini with Retina Display.

The Korea Times has learned from an unnamed supply chain that “Apple’s local first-tier display supplier is now producing a 12.9-inch Retina display to be used in the new iPad, which will be coming out sometime early next year.”  Earlier we saw The Wall Street Journal report that Apple was working on a 12 to 13 inch tablet, and PadNews had suggested a March 2014 release date.

Apple’s rumored 12.9 inch iPad is said to have a much improved display thanks to using an almost Ultra-HD display. UHD displays generally have a screen resolution of 3840 x 2160 resolution but there is no mention as to what the actual resolution would be of the 12.9 inch display. While naming of the iPad has not be released it would be in Apple style to call this the iPad Pro, similar to their MacBook Pro devices which come in larger sizes than their MacBook Air’s do.

Coming in at the 12.9 inch size would put the iPad device in line with a full size MacBook but without the bulk, and this would also be a great opportunity to release an official Apple iPad Keyboard accessory to the market as well. Apple now offers their iWork applications free with the purchase of new iOS devices, and that once coupled with a larger screen and a full keyboard would make for a great computer replacement for on the go.

Currently Apple doesn’t offer any devices that start off in the $700 price point, which is likely where this device would land. This would be a great way to fill the gap between the existing iPad products and the jump up to the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models. Would a 12.9 inch iPad excite you, or would you rather keep the iPad a smaller screen and jump over to a computer when you need the larger screen size?

[MacRumors]