iPhone 5, iPad 3 release date talk shoved off by iPad 2 TV ad

Pay no attention to the awkwardly approaching iPhone 5 release date because the iPad 2 is magical, says a new television ad from Apple which arrives at a time when many are wondering if the new device’s “magic” consists of being invisible. And yet Apple has taken to widely advertising the second generation iPad even as some shut-out buyers are wondering if they should focus more on the iPad 3, and others in the land of iProducts are attempting to figure out the true-yet-hidden story of the fifth generation iPhone which is currently positioned in Apple’s secret on-deck circle.

The iPad 2 ad comes at an interesting time, as continued lack of inventory and overwhelming demand mean that advertising can’t translate into immediate sales. Apple could be running the ads simply to boost the already oversaturated iPad 2 hype and demand levels, hoping it’ll translate into future sales once inventory catches up to that demand. Or Apple could simply be tired of hearing the phrases “iPad 3″ and “iPhone 5″ spoken by anyone, and is willing to use some of its massive cash hoard to run ads whose sole purpose is to remind people that Apple does in fact have a new product on the market in the hopes of taking focus away from unannounced products.

Still, the iPhone 5 is widely expected to come this summer, and recent talk of it possibly being pushed to the fall is not the kind of exposure Apple wants for its products. Worse, some who’ve been turned away from buying an iPad 2 have now begun counting the days, weeks, and months toward the iPad 3. It may be little more than an open expression of frustration, with those buyers ultimately falling in line once the iPad 2 inventory cavalry arrives in a few weeks. But again, every mention of the phrase “iPad 3″ in any context is bad news for Apple. And so the TV ads for the iPad 2, even though they can’t possibly translate into immediate iPad 2 sales thanks to the current near-total lack of iPad 2 inventory, could help to keep the “iPad 3″ notion away from the mainstream – and if Apple is lucky, it just might help to put the iPhone 5 pin back in the grenade for a day as well. Here’s more on the iPhone 5.