Apple is considering launching a 14-inch MacBook Air, according to a DigiTimes report citing unnamed sources from the upstream supply chain.  

The Cupertino tech giant may begin mass production of the new devices in the "near future," DigiTimes is reporting. The move would allow Apple to better compete in the Asian PC market, where notebook models that size are commonplace.

On the global market, 14-inch models currently have about 20 to 25 percent market share, but in Asia they hold about 35 to 40 percent share. Those in the U.S. typically prefer 15-inch models, DigiTimes noted.

Apple currently only offers 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Air models. The move to add a 14-inch model to its lineup could mean Apple is shifting its gaze from North America and Europe to Asia, due to the huge potential there, DigiTimes’ sources said. Apple has become hugely popular in China, where iPhones, iPads, and iPods are seen as status symbols.

The company in September opened its first store in Hong Kong — its most expensive store ever — and is reportedly planning to build a second there. With three other stores in Shanghai and two in Beijing, Apple clearly sees China as an important market.  

Sales in China increased sixfold in the last year, chief executive Tim Cook said in a July earnings call. He also asserted that China was "very key to Apple's third quarter results," in which the country generated $3.8 billion in revenue for Apple. 

"I firmly believe that we're just scratching the surface right now," he said. "I think there is an incredible opportunity for Apple [in China]."

But Apple has run into troubles in China, too. The company recently came under fire, following reports of harsh conditions at its supplier facilities in China, which have driven workers to despair and suicide. Apple is also engaged in an ongoing legal battle with Chinese computer monitor manufacturer Proview over the iPad name.