Apple is wrapping the next generation iPad in a complete package, adding a magnetic stand for its leading tablet computer as shown by recently published patent application.

In addition to the Smart Cover that Apple sells to serve as screen protector and stand, the tech giant will soon offer a helpful iPad accessory that "is configured to rigidly hold a portion of the tablet device in place."

Once deployed for use, the magnetic stand will also act as a shield to allow for "significant increases in magnetic field strength when compared to similarly configured, unshielded products," said Apple in the patent application.

Real-world applications of the new iPad tool point to more enjoyable experience of the tablet. For one, the magnetic stand can be attached to a car ceiling, allowing drivers to use the iPad as a GPS when negotiating unfamiliar terrain.

Or if the need arises to use two iPads at the same time, the tool can be used to hinge the tablets side-by-side, creating a mini computing device with two monitors.

For the health buff, the magnetic stand is most helpful by holding the iPad securely, doing its job of serving the latest news or playing back movies while its owner is sweating it out on top of a treadmill.

Clearly, Apple is extending all the possible benefits of its best-selling tablet, which reports said will get a major design revamp this year.

The iPad 5 is slated to shed some heft and will likely come out as the bigger replica of the iPad Mini. But the reduction is size and weight will not temper the gut upgrades as experts expect the Apple tablet to flex more muscles from inside.

The chips inside will likely centre on A7, allowing for 64-bit computing behaviour, while the much-awaited iOS 7 is believed to debut with the iPad 5 that analysts said will be rolled out by the second half of 2013.

Better Retina display technology is also presumed to grace the 9.7-inch screen of the upcoming iPad, delivering for consumers crisp and crystal-clear tablet screen rendering.

It is unclear if the magnetic stand is also suitable for iPad Mini use.