Apple in 'Crunch Mode' Lining Up Apps for iPad 3 Demo and Commercials?

Rumors continue to swirl about the iPad 3 launch following yesterday's claims that Apple will be holding a media event during the first week of March for the introduction. The Next Web now reports that Apple is currently said to be in "crunch mode" as it works to finalize its plans for the event.

white ipad 2 oblique
According to the report, Apple is working to pin down select third-party apps to be the featured demonstrations at the media event and in commercials for the upcoming device. Apple is said to be emphasizing apps that will show off the iPad 3's high-resolution "Retina" display.

Our sources tell us that this selection process is continuing at an increased rate as Apple looks to finalize the lineup for the iPad 3. There is also emphasis on graphics-oriented applications with high-definition assets, which appears to be in line with the new iPad featuring a ‘Retina’ display.

In addition, some apps that Apple is impressed with are being forwarded on to its long-time advertising partner TWBA/Chiat/Day for possible inclusion in the initial iPad 3 commercial spots. This process is entering its final phase as well, with the company on a tight deadline to deliver assets for playback during the presentation and later, television broadcast.

Apple has been known to bring third-party developers to Cupertino in the weeks and days leading up to a major keynote or media event in order to work through presentation plans for demos and ensure that they will run smoothly. One account from the early days of the App Store related Apple's work with a developer to spend a week's worth of 16-hour days at Apple headquarters porting an app to iOS in time for the company's September 2008 "Let's Rock" event, only to see Steve Jobs nix the demo over concerns that it wasn't "fast-paced" enough.

Related Roundup: iPad
Buyer's Guide: iPad (Neutral)
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
duolingo ad live activity

Duolingo Used iPhone's Dynamic Island to Display Ads, Violating Apple Design Guidelines

Friday January 2, 2026 1:36 pm PST by
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines. According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option. Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
Low Cost A18 Pro MacBook Feature Pink

Apple's 2026 Low-Cost A18 Pro MacBook: What We Know So Far

Friday January 2, 2026 4:33 pm PST by
Apple is planning to release a low-cost MacBook in 2026, which will apparently compete with more affordable Chromebooks and Windows PCs. Apple's most affordable Mac right now is the $999 MacBook Air, and the upcoming low-cost MacBook is expected to be cheaper. Here's what we know about the low-cost MacBook so far. Size Rumors suggest the low-cost MacBook will have a display that's around 13 ...
govee floor lamp

CES 2026: Govee Announces New Matter-Connected Ceiling and Floor Lights

Sunday January 4, 2026 5:00 am PST by
Govee today introduced three new HomeKit-compatible lighting products, including the Govee Floor Lamp 3, the Govee Ceiling Light Ultra, and the Govee Sky Ceiling Light. The Govee Floor Lamp 3 is the successor to the Floor Lamp 2, and it offers Matter integration with the option to connect to HomeKit. The Floor Lamp 3 offers an upgraded LuminBlend+ lighting system that can reproduce 281...
Belkin 25W Battery magnetic

CES 2026: Belkin Announces Magnetic Ring Power Bank, Modular Dock, and More

Sunday January 4, 2026 3:02 pm PST by
Belkin today announced a range of new charging and connectivity accessories at CES 2026, expanding its portfolio of products aimed at Apple device users. UltraCharge Pro Power Bank 10K with Magnetic Ring The lineup includes new Qi2 and Qi2.2 wireless chargers, magnetic power banks, a high-capacity laptop battery, and USB-C productivity accessories, with an emphasis on higher charging...
airpods pro 3 glitter

AirPods New Year's Deals Include Up to $99 Off AirPods Max, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Sunday January 4, 2026 8:04 am PST by
Now that the calendar has flipped over into January, steep discounts on popular Apple products have become more rare after the holidays. However, if you didn't get a new pair of AirPods recently and are looking for a model on sale, Amazon does have a few solid second-best prices this week. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a...
Low Cost MacBook Feature A18 Pro

Low-Price 12.9-Inch MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Reportedly Launching Early This Year

Friday January 2, 2026 9:08 am PST by
Apple plans to introduce a 12.9-inch MacBook in spring 2026, according to TrendForce. In a press release this week, the Taiwanese research firm said this MacBook will be aimed at the entry-level to mid-range market, with "competitive pricing." TrendForce did not share any further details about this MacBook, but the information that it shared lines up with several rumors about a more...
Clicks Communicator Feature

'Clicks Communicator' Unveiled — Will You Carry This With Your iPhone?

Friday January 2, 2026 6:35 am PST by
The company behind the BlackBerry-like Clicks Keyboard accessory for the iPhone today unveiled a new Android 16 smartphone called the Clicks Communicator. The purpose-built device is designed to be used as a second phone alongside your iPhone, with the intended focus being communication over content consumption. It runs a custom Android launcher that offers a curated selection of messaging...

Top Rated Comments

HarryKeogh Avatar
181 months ago
Man, I cannot wait.

I use the iPad as a comic reader and everything about is perfect except the fine print. Sometimes it's just illegible. This display will make it beyond great.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chrmjenkins Avatar
181 months ago
The iPad is worthless without a universal model that will work on AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint, with no contract.
I wondered why iPad sales were so low.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
basesloaded190 Avatar
181 months ago
iBooks, a photography app of some kind, and an app with streaming high definition content (MLB perhaps).

Maybe they have finally done an Aperture app! Perfect time to show something like that off if you ask me.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gnasher729 Avatar
181 months ago
What is the point of a 2048x1536 resolution if the video streaming apps are all stuck using 480-720p resolution for bandwidth purposes.

It's excellent for reading eBooks with absolutely perfect text rendering. Or websites with absolutely perfect text rendering. Video is actually what I care about the least, because you can't see the pixels in fast moving motion anyway.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lesser Evets Avatar
181 months ago
128GB, please.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Patriot24 Avatar
181 months ago
I am personally boycotting future Ipad purchases until Apple reigns in on the types of apps being offered on the App store. It has gone from a really bright future of new technology to total garbage in the 2.5 year span since the Ipad 1 came out.

What is the point of a 2048x1536 resolution if the video streaming apps are all stuck using 480-720p resolution for bandwidth purposes.

What is the point of the new higher resolution if 9 out of 10 games that come out are all designed to just milk money out of the user rather than provide a fun experience? Id rather spend $10 on a game than get it for free and have the mechanics broken because they are geared to make me spend money to make the game tolerable.

Sounds to me like the hardware has moved beyond software and I blame it entirely on Apple. They manage the app store and they let companies make free apps with $99 in app purchases.

I don't disagree with your comments regarding quality, but I think we need to examine some key points here.

As a customer, if you put two apps in front of me - one is free with DLC and the other is $99 but includes everything, I am going to choose the freemium app 9 times out of 10. If the full-price app is the only one available, I am less likely to jump in due to the risk/reward ratio ("That's a lot of money for an app I'm not sure I'll like...").

As a developer, I would rather have 9 free downloads of my app with a couple hundred dollars worth of DLC purchases than 1 download of my full-price app.

As Apple, I prefer whatever method customers prefer and are willing to pay for. Why argue with consumers if they are happy and you are still getting your 30% cut?

In the end, the market will determine what is acceptable. If people stop buying freemium apps and upgrades, then developers will need to re-think their strategy. Just realize that there are a lot of folks out there with iDevices that can't jump at every $20 app they see. Freemium makes sense for a lot of people.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)