iPad_biggerdisplay
The latest report suggests that the bigger iPad could feature a 12.2-inch display, instead of the previously rumored 12.9-inch display. Apple

Speculation about the long-rumored bigger iPad was boosted Friday after a Japanese magazine published what it claimed to be schematics depicting the design of a 12.2-inch iPad, dubbed the “iPad Air Plus” that Apple is said to be working on.

The design, which is depicted by Japan’s Mac Fan magazine, suggested that the bigger iPad would feature a 12.2-inch LCD display and would have a dimension of 12 inches x 8.7 inches x 0.28 inches, which supports previous rumors about the device’s size. The latest report, however, contradicts some earlier rumors saying that Apple’s bigger iPad could sport a 12.9-inch display.

The Mac Fan report also said that the iPad Air Plus could be powered by a next-generation A9 processor, which would be an upgrade from the A8X processor found in the existing iPad Air 2. As for the launch, the new tablet is expected to be released somewhere between April and June in 2015, Macotakara, another Japanese publication, reported, citing Mac Fan.

In addition to the bigger screen size and an upgraded processor, the new tablet is also expected to have four built in speakers to provide improved stereo audio.

The Mac Fan report also talked about the next iPad mini, or iPad mini 4, which is said to feature the same A8X processor found in the iPad Air 2. The report also stated that following the launch of the iPad mini 4 both the iPad mini and iPad mini 3 will be discontinued by Apple.

In August, Bloomberg reported that Apple was planning to launch a bigger iPad with a 12.9-inch display in early 2015, while a report from the Wall Street Journal said in October that Apple had delayed the mass production of the larger iPad from December to the next year due to high demand for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

Earlier this month, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple’s 12.9-inch “iPad Pro” may not enter production until the second quarter of 2015 because of the extra time needed for component yield and assembly, MacRumors reported.