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.

The current roster of iDevices got a size makeover last year, when Apple released the 4-inch iPhone 5 and the smaller iPad mini, which stands at 7.9 inches. But the new iPhone 5s and 5c remained at 4 inches. Meanwhile, Apple only just hosted an iPad event, when it revealed the iPad Air and Retina display iPad mini, so the likelihood of another one in the next few months is slim.

According to the Korea Times, though, Apple's move toward a larger screen could be a bid to compete with the likes of LG and Samsung, which has not shied away from releasing different-sized devices. "By diversifying its tablet lineup, Samsung plans to significantly narrow differences with Apple in the race," an unnamed Samsung employee told The Korea Times. "Samsung believes it can also dethrone Apple in tablets as it did in smartphones."

Samsung declined to comment on the rumors.

For more, see PCMag's reviews of the iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display, as well as the slideshow above. Also check out our list of The 100 Best iPad Apps.

Editor's Note: This story was updated at 2:25 p.m. Eastern with comment from Samsung.

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