A logo of Sony Corp is pictured at an electronic store
A logo of Sony Corp is pictured at an electronic store in Tokyo May 14, 2014. Sony Corp said on Wednesday it expects to log a 50 billion yen ($489 million) net loss this financial year, its sixth in seven years, and plans additional restructuring measures that include its loss-making PC operations. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

When it comes to 12-inch tablets, there are only two options available for the buyers among the well-known manufacturers -- the Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 and Microsoft Surface Pro 3. Apple is also rumoured to be working on a 12.9-inch iPad Pro tablet that may arrive in the coming year. Sony, the Japanese tech giant, might also launch a 12-inch Xperia tablet by the start of next year, states Digitimes.

According to Digitimes, the 12-inch tablet from Sony is expected to release in the first quarter of the coming year. The tablet is expected to feature high-end specs and it will also come with an intuitive and dedicated stylus. The competitor models from Samsung and Microsoft are both equipped with a stylus.

Digitimes claims to have gained information on the Sony Xperia 12-inch tablet form supply chain manufacturers based in Taiwan. PhoneArena adds that the rumours coming from Digitimes have not been always reliable. Hence, we will have to wait more to get reliable information from another report.

PhoneArena claims that Sony that is known for building slim mobile devices is expected to very thin and sport water resistant chassis. It will slot itself as a new member to the Xperia family. As of now, no concrete details have been revealed by the Japanese manufacturer. Currently, the largest Sony tablet available is the Sony Xperia Z2 tablet which comes with a 10.1-inch display.

Even though Samsung and Microsoft are selling 12-inch tablets, Digitimes claims that the demand for such large-sized tablets is quite low as very customers have purchased these devices. Still, major brands have shown good interests in launching 12-inch tablets.

Android Authority mentions that Sony will offer a high resolution display on the large sized tablet along with a powerful processor. It further says that the Japanese tech giant will first test the demand for larger tablets by launching fewer units in the market and then decide whether to sell more. The Xperia 12-inch tablet would be aimed towards laptop users who are looking for a slightly portable device.