12.9″ iPad at Foxconn, iPhone’s Risks

The iPad Air is a pretty beautiful device. It is fast and more than capable of running all the apps you love. While it is true that smaller tablets are quite popular, there is a market for tablets that are larger than 10 inches. It just happens that we can’t see Apple entering this market unless there is enough demand for them. The latest rumor is pointing to Apple testing a 12.9″ tablet at Foxconn.

We have seen and heard about 4k tablets. Is this the direction Apple is headed with its strategy? A 12.9″ iPad will be more expensive, so it will not be for average consumers. But it could prove useful for designers, artists, and other professionals. GSMInsider claims to have a source behind this story. Until we see a 12.9″ iPad, we are going to remain skeptical. A hybrid Macbook is much more likely at this point.

Apple does not take new product decisions lightly. Take the iPhone for instance. The device has been quite successful for Apple. But some people were writing it off when it was launched. According to Phil Schiller, the device was a bet-the-company product:

There were huge risks … We had a saying inside the company that it was a ‘bet-the-company’ product…We were starting to do well again in iPod…Then here we’re going to invest all these resources, financial as well as people, in creating this product.

It will be interesting to see what Apple will offer beyond its current products in the upcoming years. We have seen and heard about Apple Glasses, watches, and TVs. We will probably see one of those in 2014. What’s your guess? What should Apple release as its next big product?