Apple may be working on what is literally the "next big thing" —a 12.9-inch iPad. According to a report from The Korea Times, Cupertino plans to introduce the massive tablet early next year.

An unnamed official at a Korean Apple supplier told the Times that the tech giant's "first-tier display supplier is now producing a 12.9-inch Retina display to be used in the new iPad, which will be coming out sometime early next year."

And with great size, comes great picture quality: The colossal tablet will reportedly sport a crisp quality similar to that of ultra-high-definition (UHD) — currently relegated to big-screen TVs.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Rumors about larger-screen Apple gadgets are nothing new. Earlier this year, Reuters said that the company was "exploring" 4.7-inch and 5.7-inch iPhones. The rumor mill continued over the summer with talk of prototype smartphone screens larger than 4 inches and a tablet measuring slightly less than 13 inches.

But as PCMag's Sascha Segan pointed out amidst these rumors, Apple likely tests a number of emerging technologies - including huge screens - but only a fraction of these tests actually turn into real products.

PC Magazine