Apple is developing a 17-watt power adapter for an unknown product, reports AppleInsider. At 17 watts, the adapter uses slightly more power than the current iPad (12 watts) but significantly less than the MacBook Air (45 watts). It also uses more power than the iPhone or the Apple TV, which ship with 5-watt and 6-watt adapters, respectively.

People familiar with the matter say Apple just recently began the process of procuring low-cost components for the new 17-watt adapter. And while the exact nature of its parent product remains somewhat of an unknown, at least one person familiar with adapter's design believes existing evidence points to be a portable product which could launch within the next 12 months.

It's also said that the new 17-watt adapter is not intended as an upgrade to an existing Apple product line, such as the anticipated fifth-generation iPad. That device is instead expected to ship with the same 12-watt adapter.

Though a 17-watt adapter could presumably be used for any number of Apple products including the existing iPad, its minor increase in wattage could hint at a larger iPad. With a 5-watt adapter for the iPhone and a 12-watt adapter for the 9.7-inch iPad, 17 watts is at the right size to power a potential 13-inch iPad.

12_9_ipad_ipad_4_mini_light

Concept rendering of the 13-inch iPad

News of a larger "iPad Maxi" first surfaced in May, and was followed up by a report from The Wall Street Journal suggesting Apple and its suppliers were testing larger screens for both the iPad and the iPhone. The larger iPad reportedly measures slightly less than 13 inches diagonally.

The iPads in question were prototypes, however, and Apple produces and tests a wide range of products that never make it to market. It is unclear if the company will release a larger iPad to the public, but such an iPad would be similar in size to a MacBook Air.

There is no indication that Apple has plans to release a 13-inch iPad in the near future, but the company is gearing up to launch both a Retina iPad mini and a fifth-generation iPad with slimmer bevels and a thinner design later this year.

Top Rated Comments

Sky Blue Avatar
153 months ago
Maxi Pad

lol
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Northgrove Avatar
153 months ago
Can't wait to shoot with that one on a concert.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
powerslave12r Avatar
153 months ago
Speculation of a direct corelation between screen size and power draw makes very little sense.

Although the 13" rumor could be true, in all likelihood the adaptor has been beefed up to perhaps decrease charging times on the newer ipads (including the fabled ipad mini retina).
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheKrs1 Avatar
153 months ago
Am I the only one that thinks this might just be in an effort to decrease charging times?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
the411 Avatar
153 months ago
the twist is that the 13 inch iPad will run OS X.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mcalict Avatar
153 months ago
Seriously.... anybody who thinks that Apple marketing folks would name it the "iPad Maxi" is delusional. It should be dubbed the "iPad Mega" or "iPad XL".[COLOR="#808080"]


No, iPad Pro.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Tuesday May 27, 2025 9:10 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 May 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 X ...
iOS 26 Mock Rainbow Feature

No iOS 19: Apple Going Straight to iOS 26

Wednesday May 28, 2025 11:56 am PDT by
With the design overhaul that's coming this year, Apple plans to rename all of its operating systems, reports Bloomberg. Going forward, iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS, and visionOS will be identified by year, rather than by version number. We're not going to be getting iOS 19, we're getting iOS 26. iOS 26 will be accompanied by iPadOS 26, macOS 26, tvOS 26, watchOS 26, and visionOS 26...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature 2

Apple Rumored to Redesign the iPhone Every Year Through to 2027

Tuesday May 27, 2025 5:17 am PDT by
Apple is reportedly preparing to implement significant iPhone hardware redesigns each year for the next three generations. According leaks from the Chinese supply chain disclosed by Weibo user "Digital Chat Station," Apple plans to carry out a series of phased industrial design changes affecting different parts of the iPhone across three consecutive years: 2025, 2026, and 2027. The changes...
Whatsapp Feature

WhatsApp Teases Long-Awaited iPad App

Monday May 26, 2025 10:23 am PDT by
The popular messaging app WhatsApp has teased a long-awaited iPad app, which would be offered alongside its existing iPhone and Mac apps. The official WhatsApp account on X today reacted with an eyes emoji to a post saying that WhatsApp should release an iPad app. This could be a hint that Meta is gearing up to release WhatsApp for iPad, which has already been available for beta testing via...
WWDC 2025 Banner

WWDC is Just Two Weeks Away: Here Are the Biggest iOS 19 Rumors

Monday May 26, 2025 8:12 am PDT by
WWDC 2025 is just two weeks away as of today, with Apple's opening keynote scheduled for Monday, June 9 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. During the keynote, Apple is expected to announce iOS 19, iPadOS 19, macOS 16, watchOS 12, tvOS 19, visionOS 3, and other software updates, along with new Apple Intelligence features. In some years, there are also hardware announcements at WWDC, but there are no...
Emergency SOS via Satellite iPhone YT

Report: Apple Planned to Offer Starlink-Like Home Internet Service

Tuesday May 27, 2025 7:08 am PDT by
Apple had plans to offer a Starlink-like satellite home internet service in collaboration with Boeing, The Information reports. Starting in 2015, Apple held discussions with Boeing about "Project Eagle," a plan to launch a service to provide wireless internet services to iPhones and homes. The companies would have launched thousands of satellites into orbit around the Earth to beam internet...
macOS 26 visionOS Inspired Feature

macOS 26 Rumored to Drop Support for These Five Macs

Thursday May 29, 2025 5:31 am PDT by
The next major version of macOS, now dubbed "macOS 26," is rumored to drop support for several older Intel-based Mac models currently compatible with macOS Sequoia. According to individuals familiar with the matter cited by AppleInsider, the following Macs will not be supported by the next version of macOS: MacBook Pro (2018) iMac (2019) iMac Pro (2017) Mac mini (2018) MacB...