Apple's latest software update hints the next iPad will have a huge, beautiful screen

For months, reports and rumors have suggested that Apple will release larger iPad with a 12.9-inch screen.

Now, there's some evidence that not only backs up those claims, but also tells us how sharp this larger iPad's display could be.

The code for iOS 9 includes some clues that point to a larger sized iPad - such as the fact that the keyboard can be scaled up to fit a bigger screen, as iOS developer Steven Troughton-Smith discovered.

But Taiwanese iOS developer Hiraku Wang pursued that discovery even further, suggesting that the new iPad could have a 2,732 x 2,048 screen resolution.

This would ensure that the larger iPad stays at a Retina display. Since the screen is larger, Apple would have to pack more pixels per inch to make sure it meets the standard for a Retina display. The current iPad Air 2's screen measures 9.7 inches and features a resolution of 2048 x 1536. That means there are 264 pixels per inch. To keep that same pixel density on a 12.9-inch screen, Apple would have to increase the resolution to 2,732 x 2,048.

Here's how Smith and Wang explained it over Twitter:

iPad Pro is 1366pt wide (so ~1006 tall)? Do the math and at 12.9" at 2X that's 263ppi, matches iPad Air… https://t.co/NyBROGR89V

- Steve T-S (@stroughtonsmith) June 15, 2015

The new finding correlates with research firm DisplaySearch's predictions regarding the larger iPad's screen resolution, as MacRumors pointed out. Back in 2014, the firm predicted that the 12.9-inch iPad would have a 2,732 x 2,048 resolution display. We won't know for sure until Apple officially unveils its next iPad, but other rumors suggest it may come with a Force Touch screen just like the new MacBook and Apple Watch, and a USB Type C Port.

Apple typically unveils its new iPads in October, about one month after it usually announces its new iPhones in September.