iPad 5 case leak points to iPad-mini style design

With the iPad 5 almost definitely going to be released this year, the rumours now are all around the look and specification of Apple's new tablet. One of the consistent themes has been that the iPad Mini will provide the inspiration for the iPad 5. It makes a lot of sense, as the existing iPad design has been around since the iPad 2 and stuck for the most recent model, the iPad 4, and isn't quite as fresh-looking as the newer smaller tablet.

While we've only seen rumours and some mock-ups suggesting the new design route, people have recently been getting more excited as new case mock-ups have been spotted that seem to confirm the new style.

Case manufacturers often get case specs early on, so that they can start the manufacturing process and be ready when the new tablet is launched. While this can be a bit of a gamble, designing a case without seeing the product, the companies that get it right have an early head-start and can make a killing from the first sales.

First, BGR reported images found on Alibaba, a Chinese e-commerce site, seemed to confirm that the iPad 5 would be styled on the iPad Mini.

Secondly, Apple accessory manufacturer MiniSuit sent images of its new case designs to MacRumors. It told the site that the designs are based on leaked specifications, which it believes are accurate. As you can see from the image below, the iPad 5 case certainly follows the design cues for the iPad Mini.

MiniSuit's iPad 5 case is clearly designed for a larger tablet based on the iPad Mini's design

The leaked case pictures have also fuelled speculation that the iPad 5 will be launched in June. Case manufacturers tend to only start developing prototypes close to launch, when the details and specifications are a bit more certain. With cases coming out now, an October launch for the iPad 5, as some sites have mooted, would be too late, but June would be spot on.

“Doubtlessly, [Apple's iPad mini is] beautiful to hold and use, and for the last few months, it has been reported that the full-sized iPad may be treated to similar design traits,” Ben Reid reports for Redmond Pie.

“Following on from the supposed Retina iPad mini case leaks, the first cases of a redesigned iPad 5 have leaked via case maker MiniSuit, which seem to further substantiate the notion of the iPad mini and regular iPad adopting a uniform look moving forward,” Reid reports. “The leaked iPad 5 case is slimmer than that of the iPad 4, and thus as well as looking as though it would house a design reflective of the iPad mini.”

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