Apple could be working on ginormous 15-inch iPad to fight Echo Show 15

Apple could be working on ginormous 15-inch iPad to fight Echo Evidence 15

a photo of the iPad Pro accessory HoverBar Duo

(Image credit: Henry T. Casey/Tom'south Guide)

Update (Jan 10): At that place may be more to this rumor than we idea, as one of Apple's supply partners has but adjusted its factory to make fifteen-inch OLED displays .

Part wish fulfillment, part follow-up from a previous report, Bloomberg's Marking Gurman says that Apple could be working on a larger iPad Pro. And he believes that Apple tree could brand a big splash in a smart home brandish market place currently dominated past Echo Bear witness devices and Google Nest Hubs.

Dorsum in June Gurman reported: "I'm told that Apple has engineers and designers exploring larger iPads that could hit stores a couple of years downwardly the road at the earliest."

So what'south the current story almost? In Gurman's Power On newsletter, he discusses how Apple could make a strong rival to new devices like the Repeat Show xv. In our Repeat Evidence 15 review, nosotros appreciated the ability to wall mount the device, and the big brandish with helpful widgets and Visual ID feature for showing personalized content for unlike members of the family unit.

Still, the Echo Show xv isn't perfect, as information technology offers mediocre audio and its camera quality isn't peachy. Gurman envisions a 15-inch iPad with a thinner design than the Echo Evidence 15 but with more powerful speakers. Apple could besides add a software layer called Home mode that sits atop iPadOS, which would make it easier to command the best smart home devices and perform other tasks.

The new big-screen iPad would likely accept other advantages over the Echo Show 15, including a faster processor and more avant-garde cameras. And if yous could take this device with you, a 15-inch or larger iPad could double as a laptop replacement.

Gurman mentions a couple of caveats here. 1 is price, as the iPad Pro 12.9-inch starts at $1,099. And then a 15-inch version could be considerably more expensive. The second trade-off is that Siri notwithstanding lags behind Alexa and Google Assistant in terms of understanding queries, speed and overall capabilities.

However, it's tantalizing to retrieve what Apple could do with a larger screen iPad, even if it's not coming next year. In the meantime, check out our best tablets listing to see what'due south worth ownership now and our Apple in 2022 guide for the products we definitely expect.

Mark Spoonauer is the global editor in master of Tom'south Guide and has covered technology for nearly xx years. In add-on to overseeing the management of Tom's Guide, Mark specializes in covering all things mobile, having reviewed dozens of smartphones and other gadgets. He has spoken at central industry events and appears regularly on TV to hash out the latest trends. Mark was previously editor in principal of Laptop Mag, and his work has appeared in Wired, Popular Science and Inc. Follow him on Twitter at @mspoonauer.