We know the next iPad would be the 9.7-inch regular and the handier 7.9-inch variant but it is likely that Apple is planning a behemoth release, likely nearing the 13-inch screen size mark.

Reports from Asia earlier this year have suggested that Apple could be building a humongous iPad despite the latest tablet trend pointing to the popularity of 7-inch or 8-inch slates. The tech giant, so it seems, is gunning for a niche market, which could prove lucrative in the long run.

There is an audience for a hulking iPad in the same way that the iPad Mini suited well with demands and expectations of millions across the globe. Along that line, MacRumors partnered with CiccareseDesign artists with a big iPad concept.

In the few images published by the Apple-focused tech site, the 12.9-inch iPad sits side by side with the upcoming iPad 5 and Mini 2, with the latter staying true to much of the speculations about them - less bezel surrounding the screen and slimmer build, which should make the devices lighter than their predecessors.

Focusing on the biggest edition, it is the display resolution that should get the most attention, according to MacRumors, and if Apple intends to sell this beautiful monster briskly it needs to deploy a Retina panel capable of flashing a maximum resolution of 2048 x 2712 while keeping the iPad 4's pixel density of 264ppi.

Surely, the tablet's viewing window will gain at least another row in which the freshly redesigned iOS 7 icons will sit, the MacRumors report said, adding that likely, the icon spacing will be enhancing by reducing the distance the separates two application shortcuts.

While not specifically mentioned, it is possible that the 12.9-inch iPad will prompt the entry of hybrid iOS tablet with the likelihood that Apple will design its biggest slate as an alternative to the MacBook Air.

Paired with compatible keyboard, this iPad can very well function as a compact laptop as shown in one of the MacRumors/ CiccareseDesign images. It is highly likely that in the not so distant future, users would rely on bigger tablet for extensive typing tasks.

In this respect, Apple could realise the objectives that Microsoft had failed to achieve with the Windows 8-powered Surface Pro that was released earlier this year.

Citing a recent report by The Wall Street Journal, a prototype of the iPad variant is already being tested, MacRumors said, though it does not mean that the supposed business-oriented tool is coming anytime soon.

But if ETNews, a South Korean news site, is to be believed, the 12.9-inch iPad should make its market entry by the first half of 2014 but that would be a long-shot, MacRumors added.