Apple Store Highland Village To Open March 16, iPad 3 Launch? – [RUMOR]

According to The Houston Chronicle this week, Apple Store Highland Village located in Highland Village Shopping Center is reportedly set to open its doors to the public for the first time, Friday, March 16. The speculation which currently surrounds this reported store opening, however, has rekindled rumors that Apple could be planning a mid-March launch of its (yet-to-be-announced) third-generation iPad.

Rumors that Apple could be planning such a launch originally surfaced with a report which claimed that Apple is currently working on furnishing a new retail store within world-famous department complex, Harrods, with the guys at 9to5Mac speculating that this store could launch sometime between March 12 and March 19.

“Naturally, a mid-March opening for the Harrods Apple Store brings up speculation about an iPad 3 launch date. The iPad 3 is rumored to be introduced March 7, and Apple typically launches its new products within a few weeks of the introductions,” they reported.

Here’s the interesting part, though. Construction on Apple Store Highland Village was reportedly expected to be on-track for completion last month. However, the paper reports that about 6 weeks ago this launch was purportedly pushed back to March 17 … And, just a few days ago, the report notes that the launch date for the store was brought forward – to March 16.

The store, located in the Highland Village Shopping center at Westheimer and Drexel , was originally supposed to open in January, according to the source, but was delayed. March 17 was originally set as the new opening date, but the source said it was moved to the 16th a few weeks ago.

MacRumors notes that a launch date of March 16 would definitely fit nicely with Apple’s March 7 media event, with the company (hopefully) announcing the “iPad 3″ next Wednesday and the product – theoretically – being available in-store roughly a week and a half later.