Alleged 'iPad 5' cases support idea of Mini-like design
updated 01:40 pm EST, Mon February 25, 2013
Could be based on rumors or leaked data
Several listings for new "iPad 5" cases have appeared on e-commerce site Alibaba, reports note. In each instance the cases seem to assume that the next iPad will take after the design of the iPad mini, for example using similar slots for buttons, microphones, and speakers. They also appear to share less gradually-rounded edges than the fourth-generation iPad.
The source of the cases' design specifications is uncertain. They may be based on purely on media reports of supposed parts leaks, but could also be based on information secretly passed on by workers at Apple suppliers. Such leaks are known to have happened in the past, and sometimes proven accurate. The most infamous example may be with the iPad 2, which resulted in a Chinese criminal trial when it was discovered that accessory makers were paying to get a jump on production.
