iPad 5 June rumours sparked by manufacturer leak

A MANUFACTURER of mobile accessories has fuelled rumours of a new iPad launch in June after investing in production for a new piece of equipment for the tablet.

• Rumours of new iPad launch sparked by manufacturer’s investment in new case

• New iPad expected to be smaller and lighter

Though Apple have yet to comment on rumours of a fifth-generation iPad, manufacturer MiniSuit is set to produce a new run of cases.

A MiniSuit spokesman said that the company invests heavily based on insider information on the production of forthcoming Apple products.

The next iPad is expected to be smaller and lighter - a suspicion bolstered by these leaked pictures of MiniSuit’s case design - and will edge closer to the design of the wildly successful iPad Mini, which, since its launch last year, has sold around 10 million units.

The move towards a smaller, lighter iPad 5 may also represent an attempt to arrest sliding sales of Apple’s regular iPads, which smaller, cheaper tablets from rival manufacturers (and, ironically, the iPad Mini itself) have put a dent in, according to analysts.