With the iPad line past due for a shakeup, Apple is reportedly developing a stylus to improve the user experience for the forthcoming 12.9-inch model.

The report comes from a report obtained by Apple Insider from none other than Ming-Chi Kuo, a KGI Securities analyst with an ear for whispers within the Cupertino-based tech giant. His report also mentioned a 12.9-inch iPad, whereas the size of Apple's next tablet has been the subject of some debate.

But the existence of a stylus seems to indicate that Apple will in fact push the iPad Pro as a two-in-one business tool as well as the superior entertainment-driven device it already is.

However, Kuo did not cite any sources in his new report, as Apple Insider noted the analyst is known to have reliable connections in Apple's supply partners.

"Given that it's more precise than a person's fingers, a stylus can be more convenient to use than the combination of keyboard and mouse in some cases," Kuo wrote. "Therefore, we believe Apple's stylus will improve the user experience of 12.9-inch iPad.

"Coupled with its unfavorable cost structure, high selling prices may turn consumers off if the 12.9-inch iPad is always bundled with it.

"We therefore expect the stylus to be an optional accessory before sufficient user feedback is received."

If Apple is in fact developing a stylus to use with their tablets, then the company is truly Tim Cook's and not the one Steve Jobs co-founded. When first introducing the iPad in 2010, BGR noted, Jobs made it abundantly clear that the device should not need a stylus, stating: "If you see a stylus, they blew it."

Even if Kuo described the stylus as an "optional accessory," Apple would not develop something if they thought customers would not have use of it. Regardless, Apple's iPad line is in need of something new.

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