Mid-Range and High-End iPad 3 Launching at iWorld Seems Unlikely

There have been an increasing number of rumors about the next generation iPad which is expected to launch sometime in early 2012. Digitimes is the source for many of these reports, but some of the claims are becoming increasingly questionable.

The latest report from the publication now claims that Apple will unveil its next generation iPad at the Macworld|iWorld conference on January 26th, 2012.

macworld iworld banner

Aside from a surprise Apple return to Macworld|iWorld, Digitimes also reports that the new iPads will keep 9.7" screens, carry 1536x2048 Retina Displays, A6 processors, 5-megapixel and 8-megapixel cameras, and over double the battery capacity (6500mAH -> 14,000mAH) for the higher end model.

The two new models are described as targetting the mid-range and high-end segments.

Digitimes has a bit of mixed record on Apple rumors with our internal tracking putting their accuracy at 55%. Examining the rumor more closely, this isn't the first time that a high end or "HD" iPad has been suggested. ThisIsMyNext suggested this possibility back in July. At the time, this "iPad HD" was described as a "pro" device aimed at video and photo professionals. While Apple is widely expected to introduce an Retina-display iPad at some point in 2012, the most recent prevailing rumors have not been suggesting that Apple would split the iPad line into mid and high range models.

High end iPad questions aside, the other even harder-to-believe claim from Digitimes is the launch of any new device at the Macworld|iWorld conference. Apple officially withdrew from Macworld in December 2008, and Apple's last official presence at the show was in January 2009. Apple had said at the time that trade shows were becoming a very minor part of Apple's overall strategy. They company has been able to successfully launch products on their own timetable by simply holding their own media events with a single week's notice.

Macworld has continued on with Apple's absence, but with a smaller presence than before. This year, the conference was rebranded to Macworld|iWorld, reflecting the increasing importance of the iOS ecosystem.

Popular Stories

iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Next Week With These New Features for Your iPhone

Friday February 14, 2025 6:18 am PST by
The first iOS 18.4 beta for iPhones should be just around the corner, and the update is expected to include many new features and changes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the iOS 18.4 beta to be released by next week. Below, we outline what to expect from iOS 18.4 so far. Apple Intelligence for Siri Siri is expected to get several enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence on iOS...
apple launch feb 2025 alt

What to Expect From the 'Apple Launch' Next Week

Thursday February 13, 2025 11:48 am PST by
Apple has yet to announce any new devices this year, but that could change starting next week. Apple CEO Tim Cook today said to "get ready" for a "launch" on Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," said Cook, in a social media post. The post includes an #AppleLaunch hashtag, along with a short video featuring an animated Apple logo inside of a circle....
iPhone 17 Pro Render Front Page Tech

iPhone 17 Pro With All-New Camera Bar Design Allegedly Revealed

Thursday February 13, 2025 5:49 pm PST by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro will feature three rear cameras arranged in a familiar triangular layout, but the cameras will be housed in an all-new rectangular camera bar with rounded corners, according to YouTube channel Front Page Tech. iPhone 17 Pro camera design render created by Asher for Front Page Tech In a video uploaded today, Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser said the camera ...
iphone air concept weis

iPhone 17 Air Could Look Like This in Real Life

Friday February 14, 2025 3:41 am PST by
There have been several alleged leaked details of the iPhone 17 Air, Apple's rumored new slim iPhone, but images have been limited to grainy shots taken in component factories. However, this hyper-realistic concept created by WEIS Studio gives us the best idea yet of what Apple's thin device might actually look like. The concept design is inspired by recent leaks indicating that the device...
m2 pro mac mini

Apple is Now Selling a Refurbished Mac Mini for Just $319 (!)

Saturday February 15, 2025 9:58 am PST by
A few days ago, we reported that Apple's refurbished Mac mini pricing had a problem, and it appears that Apple has taken note. Apple was offering a refurbished Mac mini with the M2 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage for $559, which was $50 more than a refurbished Mac mini with the M4 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. All other key specifications were equal. That's no longer...
Apple Maps 2024

Apple Maps Might Start Showing Ads

Sunday February 16, 2025 7:22 am PST by
Apple is "exploring" the idea of showing search ads in the Apple Maps app, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Back in 2022, Gurman said software engineering was "already underway" to display ads in the Apple Maps app, but Apple did not move forward with the idea at the time. Today, he said Apple is "giving this notion more thought" again. This time around, he said Apple has yet to...
apple launch feb 2025

Tim Cook Teases an 'Apple Launch' Next Wednesday

Thursday February 13, 2025 8:07 am PST by
In a social media post today, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an upcoming "launch" of some kind scheduled for Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," he said, with an #AppleLaunch hashtag. The post includes a short video with an animated Apple logo inside a circle. Cook did not provide an exact time for the launch, or share any other specific details, so...
M4 Mac mini Apple Video

Apple's Refurbished Mac Mini Pricing Has a Problem

Thursday February 13, 2025 6:20 am PST by
Apple this week began selling refurbished Mac mini models with the M4 chip for the first time, but this has led to a pricing conundrum. In the United States, Apple is offering a refurbished Mac mini with the base M4 chip, 256GB of storage, 16GB of RAM, and Gigabit Ethernet for $509, down from $599 new. This is the standard 15% discount that Apple offers on refurbished Macs. The issue is...

Top Rated Comments

gorskiegangsta Avatar
172 months ago
They had me until...

...they mentioned 14,000 mAh battery. In an iPad!?!?

FYI, the 17" Macbook Pros have 9,000 mAh batteries, which themselves are 2x thicker than an iPad. Unless there has been a battery technology breakthrough of which we haven't been notified, the report holds zero credibility.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macbook pro i5 Avatar
172 months ago
I call bull ,this aint gonna happen.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pewra Avatar
172 months ago
14 Ah battery seems dubious, to say the least. I doubt that energy density is even possible with current technology.

To put that in perspective:
• you would need to charge the thing for 28 hours on a standard 2.5W USB port
• if you ran an iPhone off the same battery, you'd get somewhere close to 6 days of continuous talk time
• it is 130 times the capacity of the 6th generation nano's battery, if you had this battery in the nano, you'd get close to 133 days of playback time.

14,000mAh is absolutely, impossibly gigantic.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacDarcy Avatar
172 months ago
A couple of days ago, the rumor was that the iPad 3 was going to be released in February for Steve Jobs birthday....now its January for iWorld?

I call BS on both rumors, and think the ipad 3 will in fact be released in March as were the previous 2 iPads versions.

But hey....who knows. :-)
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr. Gates Avatar
172 months ago
I'd like a $1,500.00 iPad just to keep my status.


Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Piggie Avatar
172 months ago
50% accuracy is no better than guessing.

If you could throw a dice and tell me 50% of the time which number was going to come up I'd be impressed.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)