Amid Mysterious Apple Event, Analysts Expect Larger iPad By Next Year

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) has been rumored to be developing a 12-inch tablet for more than a year. Is the company finally ready to unveil a larger iPad?

According to The Wall Street Journal, the biggest iPad could be delayed until 2015 so that suppliers can focus on the new iPhone.

"I personally think it would be a mistake to not have some refinements with a larger screen," Dan Miller, senior analyst and founder of Opus Research, told Benzinga.

Patrick Moorhead, president and principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, is confident that Apple will release a 12-inch iPad -- but not necessarily in 2014.

"I think we'll see a larger iPad in the next 12 months," Moorhead told Benzinga. "I think we'll see it with a keyboard as well. As much as Apple has scorned two-in-ones, I think it's going to be more like a two-in-one than it is just a tablet."

Sean Udall, CIO of Quantum Trading Strategies and author of The TechStrat Report, told Benzinga that while Apple could unveil a larger iPad this week, "It wouldn't surprise me [if] it is delayed."

Related Link: iPad Air 2 Rumor Roundup

How Big Is Too Big?

The iPad has been a laptop replacement for many tasks, but some users still prefer to use a MacBook. Could a larger iPad change that?

"When you get to a certain size, whether it's 12 or 13 inches, it becomes a little ungainly to hold," Moorhead said of the rumored iPad. "It just becomes too heavy."

Regardless, Moorhead still expects Apple to release a larger device.

"I think it's all about Apple's desire to get deeper into the work usage model," he said. "Even though they've got a very celebrated laptop with the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, it's still not penetrating nearly as many enterprises as they would like. When you have a product like the iPad that is very differentiated, it would make sense that you would bring something completely different to the market to attempt to drive that."

In doing so, Apple could give a nod to Windows.

"If Apple does actually come out with their own [iPad] keyboard, it would give credibility to a lot of these Windows two-in-ones, in a way," Moorhead added. "I find that ironic but I think it's gonna happen."

Related Link: Is Carl Icahn Good For Apple Inc.?

iPad Mini's Goodbye

Udall thinks the iPhone 6 Plus will eventually eliminate the need for an iPad Mini.

"I think Apple does a better job of self-cannibalizing than any other company, and that's a very good position to be in," he said. "The 6 Plus is definitely gonna kill, crush, demolish sales of the iPad Mini. That's a good thing, not a bad thing. They're probably gonna keep [the iPad Mini] around, but it effectively is gonna go away -- just like the iPhone completely killed sales of iPods."

When that happens, Udall believes the normal 10-inch iPad will become Apple's "small" tablet.

"You're still gonna have two iPads: the [Air] becomes the smaller one and the 12-inch becomes the new one," Udall added.

Disclosure: At the time of this writing, Louis Bedigian had no position in the equities mentioned in this report.