Apple Testing Screens for a Larger iPhone and a 13-Inch iPad

galaxy note ii iphone 5
5.5-inch Samsung Galaxy Note II vs. iPhone 5 (Source: phoneArena.com)

The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple and its suppliers are testing larger screens for both the iPhone and iPad:

In recent months, Apple has asked for prototype smartphone screens larger than 4 inches and has also asked for screen designs for a new tablet device measuring slightly less than 13 inches diagonally, they said. The current iPhone 5 has a four-inch screen, while the iPad has a 9.7-inch screen. The iPad Mini, a stripped-down version of its tablet computer, has a 7.9-inch screen.

Reports of larger screen sizes for Apple's iPhone model are not new. Multiple reports have already suggested that Apple has been experimenting with screen sizes as large as 5.7" for the iPhone.

However, only one previous rumor, which we classified as "sketchy" emerged in May that pinpointed a 12.9" size for a future iPad.

The larger iPad, which the site apparently in all seriousness says would be called "iPad Maxi", would launch in the first half of 2014 and be intended to target the ultrabook market as well as increase utility for digital textbooks.

While we dismissed that rumor before, the Wall Street Journal's sources apparently confirm the testing of this large almost 13" screen size. The newspaper does explain that these new designs may never make it to market.

Meanwhile, they say the new 2013 iPad will be ramping up later this month. This year's iPad will use the same 9.7" screen, but with a lighter and thinner display structure.

Related Roundup: iPad Pro
Buyer's Guide: iPad Pro (Caution)
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iphone 17 dummies sonny dickson

iPhone 17 Air Almost as Thin as Its Buttons, New Images Show

Thursday April 24, 2025 2:14 am PDT by
If you missed the video showing dummy models of Apple's all-new super thin iPhone 17 Air that's expected later this year, Sonny Dickson this morning shared some further images of the device in close alignment with the other dummy models in the iPhone 17 lineup, indicating just how thin it is likely to be in comparison. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be around 5.5mm thick – with a thicker ...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Launching Later This Year With These 16 New Features

Thursday April 24, 2025 8:24 am PDT by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device. Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
Global Close Your Rings Day Pin

Apple Stores Giving Away a Limited-Edition Pin For Free Today

Thursday April 24, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Starting today, April 24, Apple Stores around the world are giving away a special pin for free to customers who request one, while supplies last. Photo Credit: Filip Chudzinski The enamel pin's design is inspired by the Global Close Your Rings Day award in the Activity app, which Apple Watch users can receive by closing all three Activity rings today. The limited-edition pin is the physical...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
Apple Logo Spotlight Blue

White House Hits Back at Apple's Massive EU Fine

Thursday April 24, 2025 5:57 am PDT by
Apple's $570 million fine from the EU has triggered a sharp rebuke from the White House, which called the fine a form of economic extortion, Reuters reports. The fine was announced on Wednesday by the European Commission, following a formal investigation into Apple's compliance with the bloc's Digital Markets Act (DMA), a landmark piece of legislation aimed at curbing the market dominance of ...
ipad air magic keyboard feature

iPadOS 19 Rumored to Show Mac-Like Menu Bar When Connected to Magic Keyboard

Thursday April 24, 2025 12:09 pm PDT by
When an iPad running iPadOS 19 is connected to a Magic Keyboard, a macOS-like menu bar will appear on the screen, according to the leaker Majin Bu. This change would further blur the lines between the iPad and the Mac. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously claimed that iPadOS 19 will be "more like macOS," with unspecified improvements to productivity, multitasking, and app window management,...

Top Rated Comments

tbrand7 Avatar
154 months ago
Well, let the iPad "Maxi" rumors begin!
Score: 51 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tbrand7 Avatar
154 months ago
RIP Steve Jobs and "Think Different".
Score: 45 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iWallace26 Avatar
154 months ago
I would love a 4.3 or 4.8 screen for the iphone not sure about a 13 inch ipad though.
Score: 45 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lincolntran Avatar
154 months ago
Maybe just me

Maybe it's just me, but I prefer to have my devices that fit my needs and my needs are:

- For quick and ultra portable: I have my iPhone 5 (don't like it any bigger, I even like the 3.5 screen better)

- For bigger screen and still ultra portable: I have my iPad mini

- For even bigger screen: I have my iPad

- For serious work AND still portable: I have my Macbook Air

- For taking over the world: I have my Mac Pro

I don't want a phone with 6.5, or 5.5, or 5.0, or related hybrid screen sizes that can't do the job as good as the 5 mentioned above. But that's just me. :D
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
irDigital0l Avatar
154 months ago
Larger screen iPhone?

Yes please.

Apple finally gets it. Multiple displays sizes for MacBook, for iPad...one sizes does not fit all.

Hopefully it'll happen this year.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TrollToddington Avatar
154 months ago
I'm in for a 13" iPad. Perfect for musicians, it will replace the music sheets. There's definitely a market for this.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)