Apple is working on a 12- to 12.9-inch iPad or laptop-tablet hybrid, according to Nomura analysts.

Nomura analysts believe that Apple is working on either a 12-inch iPad or a detachable MacBook Air. They believe that the device will boast a Retina display and possibly use Apple's own A8 processor with 64-bit ARM architecture.

This is backed up by the prediction of reliable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who claimed that Apple will release several new products in mid-2014, including a 12-inch MacBook with Retina Display in an entirely new form factor.

Moreover, Apple's longtime supplier Foxconn is reported to be testing new, large-format iPad with the purportedly king-sized device slated to debut next spring. Apple Insider cited PadNews saying that the tablet would sport a display diagonal of either 11.4 or 12.9 inches and is at an advanced stage of testing. The site says Apple could be targeting a March 2014 unveiling.

Rumours and predictions spreading all over the Internet started way back. These rumours claimed that Apple may release a device dubbed as "iPad maxi." In July, the Wall Street Journal reported that sources indicated to the paper that Apple has prototyped a new category of iPad with a display "slightly less than 13 inches diagonally."

An iPad convertible also made it to the rumour mill. The iPad convertible is expected to be an iPad-Macbook Air hybrid device. This would seem to target convertible laptops such as Asus Transformer Book, Dell XPS and Sony Vaio Flip.

Last month, Apple unveiled the refreshed iPad line boasting the iPad Air and iPad Mini with Retina Display. The new iPad Air is the thinnest and lightest Apple tablet. The device sports a narrower bezel and a design similar to that of iPad Mini. The iPad Air kept its 9.7-inch Retina screen display but included the 64-bit A7 processor and M7 graphics chip for faster processing.

Meanwhile, the new iPad Mini with Retina display now boasts a 2,048 x 1,536 pixel resolution and 326 ppi. The device is also available in more storage options - 16, 32, 64 and 128 GB. The miniature Apple tablet is equipped with 64-bit A7 processor and M7 GPU.