If a new report, published on Monday, is to be believed, Apple could start shipping its rumored 12.9-inch ‘iPad Pro’ by mid-November this year.

Citing sources within Apple’s supply chain, DigiTimes reports that Apple expects its suppliers to start providing components for the 12.9-ich iPad in late-September.

The report claimed Apple has been “rather cautious” and has placed an initial order for the 12.9-inch iPad that is “much lower” than most market watchers expect. It did not divulge the actual order quantity or market expectations.

According to DigiTimes, the 12.9-inch ‘iPad pro’ will be manufactured by Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd., better known as Foxconn – a long-time Apple supplier based in Taiwan.

This is not the first time DigiTimes has claimed to have insight into Apple’s plans for a larger-screen iPad. In 2013, the publication reported that Apple would introduce a 12.9-inch iPad in the second half of 2014 – a report that turned out to be incorrect.

That blunder aside, given other recent rumors involving the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, there may be something to the report.

For starters, the timeframe could be in the ball park as Apple usually announces its new iPad lineup in October, with the new models going on sale in early-November.

In May, AppleInsider reported that Apple was working on a 12.9-inch iPad that will include a pressure-sensitive Bluetooth stylus, Force Touch input technology, NFC capability, and a USB-C connection port.

Additionally, following the release of the first iOS 9 developer beta in June, code snippets were discovered in iOS 9 that adds support for a keyboard that scales larger than the screen size available on current iPad models. The code also revealed a redesigned iPad keyboard with a new shortcut bar, dedicated Tab and Caps Lock keys, and an extra row of keys just for characters such as exclamation marks and parentheses.

Faced with a sharp decline in iPad sales alongside an overall slowdown in the tablet market, some believe a larger-screen iPad may be what’s needed to rekindle interest in the product Apple pioneered.

“The iPad 12.9-inch Pro version cannot come quickly enough for Apple as it needs to re-ignite growth and demand in its Tablet products,” said Peter King a service director at Strategy Analytics.

Image credit: m01229 | Flickr