The Austin American-Statesman reports that Apple will not be opening a special "pop-up" retail store at the city's massive SXSW festival this year. Apple briefly opened such a store at last year's festival to support the launch of the iPad 2.

Apple Inc. will not create a pop-up Apple Store downtown for South by Southwest Interactive Festival this year, Apple officials confirmed Monday.

Last year, Apple's then-CEO, Steve Jobs, announced the release of the iPad 2 on March 2. The pop-up store opened at the start of the SXSW Interactive Festival on March 11, 2011. The store, at the Scarbroughs building on Congress Avenue and Sixth Street, sold the tablet, as well as accessories, during the festival.

sxsw interactive 2012
As the report notes, Apple's decision could suggest that the iPad 3 will not be launching during the Interactive portion of the festival this year, which runs from March 9-13. Some have suggested that Apple is likely to follow a similar timing to last year's announcement and release, which would put the iPad 3 launch in the United States on Friday, March 16, nine days after tomorrow's unveiling.

Top Rated Comments

MacFan23 Avatar
182 months ago
Did anyone really think the iPad was gonna go on sale the week of announcement?
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