Apple event — there's one new product we won't be seeing

wwdc tim cook — (Image credit: BRITTANY HOSEA-SMALL/AFP via Getty Images)

Back in 2021, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman claimed Apple was experimenting with extra-large iPads. At the time, he said that they were “a couple of years down the road”, so where are we, as we approach the final quarter of 2023?

Not much closer, it turns out. In the post-game Q&A section of his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman reveals that Apple “got close” to releasing a 14-inch iPad this year, but ultimately decided against it.

That’s interesting, as at the start of the year, display analyst Ross Young stated he thought the jumbo tablet had either been “significantly delayed” or canceled entirely.

Either way, with Gurman separately adding that he doubts we’ll see “anything other than minor updates to the company’s other tablets” before the 2024 iPad Pro arrives, we can safely say that the jumbo tablet has been shelved for the foreseeable future, and won’t make an appearance at the upcoming Apple event.

In fact, part of the reasoning for this is apparently because of said iPad Pros. Apple is reportedly looking to transition to OLED displays, starting next year and the larger the tablet, the higher the cost involved — something that makes the 16-inch version mooted by The Information last year even less likely in the medium term.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Still, Apple will no doubt be watching Samsung closely. The company just released its Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra — the second iteration of its 14.6-inch tablet form factor, starting at $1,199 minus the $349 keyboard case. Bluntly, if Samsung can sell a giant, expensive tablet in significant numbers, it should be trivial for Apple to do the same given its complete dominance of the global marketplace.

There’s also one other competitor that Apple might be curious about as it mulls its future tablet plans — Amazon. Last year, the company released a 15-inch Echo Show, and while smart screens aren’t currently in the same category as Apple’s tablets, rumor has it that Apple is considering a dock to make its iPads double mimic the functionality, making them more akin to Google’s Pixel Tablet.

But, as Gurman says, significant changes to the iPad line are some way down the road, and we should probably focus on Apple’s upcoming event instead. On September 12, we’re expecting two sizes of iPhone 15, two iPhone 15 Pro models and the Apple Watch 9, which should give Apple fans plenty to chew over.

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Freelance contributor Alan has been writing about tech for over a decade, covering phones, drones and everything in between. Previously Deputy Editor of tech site Alphr, his words are found all over the web and in the occasional magazine too. When not weighing up the pros and cons of the latest smartwatch, you'll probably find him tackling his ever-growing games backlog. He also handles all the Wordle coverage on Tom's Guide and has been playing the addictive NYT game for the last several years in an effort to keep his streak forever intact.