Images suggests it will look similar to the rounded iPad Air 2 in design
Expected to include pressure sensitive screen and new Bluetooth stylus
Will include same force touch screen as upcoming iPhone 6
Gold anodized Apple Watch Sport also expected to be unveiled
Apple is set to launch a giant iPad called the iPad Plus alongside new iPhones and an upgraded Apple TV, it has been claimed.
The firm is also hoping the larger screen will help it differentiate the iPad from the big screen iPhone 6 Plus.
It is also believed to include a all-new Bluetooth stylus accessory with pressure sensitivity, and a new pressure sensitive screen.
'Alongside the new iPhones, new Apple TV, new Apple Watch bands, and a gold anodized version of the Apple Watch Sport, Apple plans to debut a pair of new iPads on Wednesday: the larger iPad Pro and a new iPad mini,' claims 9to5mac.
While Apple still plans to announce the device this week, open up pre-orders in October, and begin shipping in November, we understand that the first shipments may fall towards the end of November, the site says.
It claims the gadget could cost up to $1,000, putting it on a similar footing to the firm's MacBook laptop.
According to John Paczkowski of Buzzfeed, the new Apple TV will boast universal search, allowing users to enter the name of a program and find out where they can watch it, from a number of providers like Netflix and iTunes.
Currently finding TV shows online can be difficult, with provider's like Amazon, Hulu and Netflix all competiting, and constantly changing their catalogues.
Apple's universal search could solve this - and also make sure user's get the best price for content by showing all of the available alternatives.
IPHONE 6S: WHAT TO EXPECT
Apple typically launches its new handsets each year at an event in September and this year the firm is expected to release its iPhone 6S and 6S Plus.
These models will be more powerful version of last year's 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 and 6 Plus handsets.
Although Apple has not confirmed any details, analysts claim the handset will include:
Updated processor
New 'Force Touch' pressure sensitive screen
Upgraded camera
Models will be available in new rose gold colour option, similar to that offered on the Apple Watch.
'Essentially, you’ll be able to search for a show or movie once, and see results from all sorts of different sources,' said Paczkowski.
Apple is also believed to be unveiling a new touchscreen remote control, and will add support for wireless gamepads to the new product, set to be unveiled alongside its latest iPhones.
'According to sources with knowledge of the product, the fourth-generation Apple TV will actively compete for TV gamers with updated hardware, software, and peripherals that will debut at Apple’s September 9 event in San Francisco,' 9to5mac claims.
'One of the next Apple TV’s tentpole features will be near-universal Siri control, a feature hinted at in Apple’s invitation to the event.
'But the other will be deep support for gaming, representing Apple’s largest-ever effort to lure players from traditional consoles.'
Previous reports have hinted at the specification of the new iPad.
One person familiar with Apple's future product plans has revealed that the company is in fact working on an all-new iPad with a larger 12.9-inch display, according toAppleInsider.
This person said that Apple is expected to include an NFC radio within the new 12.9-inch iPad.
While tap-to-pay functionality in an iPad is unlikely, the inclusion of NFC could allow for an 'iPad Pro' to serve as a payment receiving terminal for Apple Pay.
The inclusion of NFC could also allow for simplified pairing with accessories, such as the new stylus said to be in the works.
The source also indicated that the jumbo-sized iPad will sport a new touchscreen with improved touch latency.
Apple's next-generation iPhone, referred to colloquially as the 'iPhone 6s,' will also feature the Force Touch input that is currently available on the Apple Watch and latest MacBooks, it is believed.
FORCE TOUCH
The Force Touch technology is found in the Apple Watch and the new Macbook.
'The new trackpad features built-in force sensors that allow you to click anywhere and haptic feedback that provides a responsive and uniform feel,' Apple says.
'You can even customize the feel of the trackpad by changing the amount of pressure needed to register each click.
'The Force Touch trackpad also enables a new gesture called Force Click, a click followed by a deeper press, for tasks like pulling up the definition of a word, quickly seeing a map or glancing at a preview of a file.'
The new technology could spawn new applications for the phones, such as a piano-playing app that would make different sounds when touched lightly or more heavily.
The iPad Pro is also expected to have a USB-C input, though they didn't indicate whether it would be a new, second port option, or if USB-C would replace the Lightning connector found on current iPads. Cases based on allegedly leaked 'iPad Pro' designs
The big screen tablet is believed to be planned for release towards the end of the year.
Rhoda Alexander, an analyst at market researcher IHS, said the pans were already well advanced.
'Our supply side (sources say) it's a go for 2015,' Alexander told FoxNews.com.
'The release timing is fuzzy, It may not appear until Q4 (fourth quarter) with the other iPad updates.
'We are, however, getting input from both the component and [product] side that this is a real product, and part of their 2015 building plan.'
Apple CEO Tim Cook, in the company's most recent earnings conference call in January, talked about the iPad's future.
'Over the long arc of time the iPad is a great business,' he said.
'I also have visibility obviously of what's in the pipeline and feel very, very good about that.'
Earlier this month a pose on Chinese networking site Weibo leaked what it claimed were the specs for the device.
Apparently, the tablet will feature a 12.9-inch display with 2K resolution, and a 7mm thin profile.
The leak also said the tablet is supposed to weigh 700g and pack a large 11,000 mAh battery, significantly bigger than the iPad Air 2's 7,340 mAh battery.
Late last year a leaked design for a case revealed more details of Apple's much rumoured iPad tablet.
According to French blog nowhereelse.fr, the case is from a 'reliable source' which has previously given them advance details of Apple's product, which the firm is notoriously secretive about.
It 'would be equipped with a screen measuring from 12.2 to 12.9 inches diagonally,' it says.
The tablet is also expected to have four speakers, and could even featur two charging ports allowing it to remain plugged in when in either portrait of landscape mode.
It comes weeks after an image was leaked that appeared to be a mould for the device.
The photo was reportedly taken at Apple manufacturer Foxconn's factory in China and is said to measure approximately 12 inches high by 8.7 inches wide.
It follows a leaked sketch from last week that claimed to show one corner of the so-called megapad, iPad Pro or iPad Air Plus.
The latest image was posted on Chinese social network Weibo.
If the rumours are true, the iPad Pro would be significantly larger than the current iPad Air 2.
iPAD PRO/AIR PLUS RUMOURS
- Name: Popular suggestions for the name of the supersized tablet include the iPad Air Plus - taking its lead from Apple's iPhone 6 Plus smartphone, and the iPad Pro.
Rumours suggest it will be just 7mm thick.
- Size: The tablet is rumoured to have a 12.2 inch screen, although other dimensions have also been suggested.
- Design: The leaked 'sketch' suggests that the iPad Air Plus will be similar in design to the iPad Air 2, with its rounded corners and also share the same placement of buttons on its edges.
- USP: The image differs from the smaller tablet however, because of grilles on the top of the shell, which suggest the device will include stereo speakers, as rumoured.
- Launch: Sources have suggested different launch times, but there is some consensus that the tablet may make its debut before the summer.
Experts have estimated that the mould would produce a tablet that measures 12 inches in height, 8.7 inches wide and 0.27 inches deep (305.3mm x 220.8 mm x 7mm).
By comparison, the iPad Air 2 is 9.4 inches by 6.7 inches by 0.24 inches (240mm x 169.5mm x 6.1mm).
The iPad Air 2 has a 9.7-inch display, while the iPad Pro is rumoured to have a 12.2-inch screen.
This would put the Pro on par with Samsung's 12.2-inch Galaxy Note Pro, which launched in February.
Last week's leaked sketch, also reportedly taken by an employee who works at Foxconn seemed to show a grille that will also boast four speakers for stereo sound.
The image was released by French website Nowhere Else, which has previously leaked details from unannounced smartphones and Apple gadgets which proved to be true, citing a Foxconn source.
The source said that initial testing for the iPad Air Plus was stopped in the summer and Apple's suppliers will soon start mass production of the tablet.
The sketch suggests that the tablet will look similar to the iPad Air 2 in design, with rounded corners and the same standby button, rear camera, microphone and volume buttons placement.
However, seemingly confirming rumours that the larger tablet will offer stereo sound, there appears to be a speaker grill on the top of the shell.
Japanese magazine Mac Fan claimed in December that the iPad Air Plus will also feature a much faster A9 processor and is set to launch between April and June.
Bloomberg and other publications reported that Apple was planning on releasing the device sometime in early 2015, while a recent report from The Wall Street Journal said the Californian firm had postponed mass production of the larger iPad from December 2014 into next year as suppliers struggled to meet demand for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus launch.
The iPad Air Plus is expected to have a 12.2inch screen or even larger, dwarfing the iPad Mini with its 7.9inch screen (left) and iPad Air (right) with a 9.7 inch screen
These designs showed the gadget as just 7mm thick, but the size of the screen is uncertain, with rumours suggesting measurements between 12 inches and 12.9 inches.
The first suggestion of a supersized tablet came just weeks after claims that the large screen size of the iPhone 6 Plus was impacting on iPad usage.
The release of Apple's iPhone 6 Plus means there is now only a 2.4-inch difference between the size of the phablet's screen, and the display on its iPad mini.
Analysis has revealed that as phones become larger, more people are using them for watching videos or reading - making their tablets almost redundant.
A study by Pocket - an app that lets users save webpages, videos and other content for reading - recently found that people who upgraded to an iPhone 6 Plus use their tablets 36 per cent less than before.
