12.9-Inch iPad Pro Release Date is Q1 2015: 4 Ways Giant Apple Tablet Will Hit Big

Apple, according to a new report, intends to issue a 12.9-inch tablet that likely will get the label iPad Pro and mass production of the device will begin in the first quarter of 2014 en route to a possible release date within the period.

The rumoured iPad Pro is for real, according to Bloomberg, indicating too on it reports that development works on the product has been underway for at least a year now.

As suggested earlier in numerous projections by analysts and blog reports, "the new iPad will have a screen measuring 12.9 inches diagonally," claimed the same report, pointing to unidentified sources.

The news came as the global tablet market appears headed for a troubling slow down with the industry leading Apple tablet (currently in iPad Air and iPad Mini builds) registering consecutive sales retreat in the past two quarters ending in June 2014.

If true, Apple's latest move begs the question: Is there a need for a third iPad version and with a supersized screen at that? While the current sales figures were not as impressive when the iPad was just exploding, Apple CEO Tim Cook appears quite upbeat on the product's prospect.

According to numerous reports, Cook simply described the prevailing trend as more of a speed bump and he expressed confidence that there'll be a turnaround to happen soon.

Will the iPad Pro be the catalyst of such hoped tablet resurgence? It is likely that Apple has another hit in the making with its biggest iPad ever and there are four ways for that to happen:

Usability

When tablets started gaining traction, people expect the device to deliver multiple uses and eventually send personal computers, specifically the laptop, to the museum. For a time that scenario had all the sign of happening but it did not. The PCs are still around and most people remain dependent on the machine especially for extensive computing tasks.

The iPad Pro will surely outpace existing tablets, the smaller iPads even, if it comes packed with the usability factor that strikes a balance between productivity and ease of use (read: convenience).

Apps

Walt Mossberg of Recode firmly believes that a bright future remains ahead of the iPad, the upcoming 12.9-inch edition including. The key, he added, is a library of apps that are optimised for tablet use.

Microsoft Office for the iPad is a good example of among the more than 350,000 applications in the App Store that are designed for tablets, Mossberg said.

Accessories

In this respect, a good start is an iPad Pro cover case that also doubles as a super-slim keyboard. Perhaps, gaming accessories would also be nice addition especially for those who plan to use the iPad Pro as replacement for their gaming laptops.

Operating system

It is unlikely that Apple will roll out the iPad Pro with the same iOS 8 version that will power the iPad Air 2 and the iPad Mini 3. Ming-chi Kuo of KGI Securities, according to Apple Insider, is under the impression that the tech giant will tweak its upcoming iOS version to make it more suitable for the bigger screen that the Pro will sport.

This likely pertains to the split-screen multitasking feature that is speculated to be part of the 2014 iPad release date push by Apple, which naturally will be extended to the 12.9-inch iPad Pro.