One of this year's most anticipated releases for Apple fans is the company's answer to one of its fiercest competitors' products, Microsoft's Surface Pro series. Apple is reportedly planning to launch its iPad Pro this year, with speculations placing the rollout of a bigger tablet toward the end of the year.

The larger iPad Pro is said to be Apple's answer to Microsoft's business people-focused Surface Pro, making it more powerful than the iPad Air series. The iPad Pro is speculated to be rolling out with a 12.9-inch display with Force Touch features, NFC options, and to keep the tablet thin enough, a USB Type-C port. The larger iPad is also likely to come out using Apple's latest A9 processor with at least 2 GB RAM and Touch ID security. 

Meanwhile, one of the most noted rumored features of the larger iPad is stylus support. Early this year, there were reports of Apple applying for a patent for a stylus and handwriting support. The patent shows how a stylus will have different 3D input based on the pen's angle and distance when touching the screen, a feature likened to how the Force Touch display on the Apple Watch interacts depending on how hard or soft the user touches the screen. 

Focusing on a larger iPad, Apple was reported to be turning to one of its most trusted partners, Foxconn, for the components. In addition to the 12.9-inch Pro tablet, the manufacturer is said to also be coming out with a refreshed iPad mini 4.

Meanwhile, rumors say that Apple is focusing it all on the supposedly 12.9-inch powerhouse, sacrificing another tablet in the series, the third-generation iPad Air. In a report by China-based Economic Daily News and picked up by tech site BGR, Apple will be shifting its focus into making the larger iPad the flagship product for the tablet lineup, pushing plans for the iPad Air 3 aside.