Case manufactures have previously provided accurate information on Apple’s future devices, though not always. Every year we see next-generation cases emerge for unannounced hardware, however, and this year is no different. Case manufacturer Chinee has already begun selling third-generation Apple iPad cases, but the company is calling them iPad 2S cases rather than iPad 3 cases according to 9to5Mac. Apple is expected to release its third-generation iPad tablet in March, which has been rumored to feature a slightly thicker case to accommodate a 4G LTE radio, a quad-core processor, a 2,048 by 1,536-pixel HD display and twice the battery life as the current iPad 2. Chinee said the company’s iPad 2S cases are designed to fit a tablet that is 1MM thicker than the iPad 2, which aligns with previous reports. The case maker also claims the design knowledge came from sources within Apple’s supply chain, which is certainly a possibility now that the Cupertino-based company has already started production.

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Apple’s aggressive patent strategy has hit a few speed bumps lately. The Cupertino, California-based company won an injunction on sales of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia, but the ban was recently overturned. A German court then sided with Motorola in a retaliatory lawsuit, ordering an injunction on Apple’s iPhone and iPad, and declaring that European Apple subsidiary Apple Sales International pay damages related to the infringement. Finally, earlier this week, the U.S. International Trade Commission ruled that HTC devices were not infringing on three Apple-owned patents. The ITC determined that a number of HTC devices did infringe on one Apple patent, but the Taiwan-based vendor already made it clear that a simple change will allow it to avoid the related injunction. Apropos, Apple’s legal team has decided to expand its efforts beyond patents covering technology integral to the function of its mobile products. Now, it will also attack competitors over their smartphone and tablet cases. Read on for more.

Apple has filed a new complaint against Samsung alleging that cases made for the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and several Samsung phones infringe its patents, Bloomberg Businessweek reported. The lawsuit was filed in Sydney, Australia on Tuesday. It was not immediately clear which patents are covered in Apple’s new complaint, though the report states that 10 patents were named in total.

A Samsung spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Considering Apple’s willingness to spend time and resources pursuing this new complaint, the company seemingly has no plans to slow its aggressive patent attacks and it will leave no stone unturned as it continues to seek out potential violations of its protected intellectual property and designs.

As Apple looks for new reasons to sue its competitors, thus inviting new lawsuits and continuing the endless cycle of complaints and counter-complaints, we would like to remind the company that Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 charger looks suspiciously like Apple’s famous 30-pin dock connector. If this new suit over cases doesn’t pan out, chargers might be the next logical step before progressing to other key areas such as product packaging. After all, other designs are possible.

We’re just hours away of putting the rumors and speculation to bed, but that leaves plenty of time left for companies to try to get in on the action. Next up to the trough: Hard Candy Cases. The case maker has posted images of its upcoming iPhone 5 cases, which include a render of Apple’s supposed iPhone 5. The device can be seen above with a wider home button, a slightly different shape and a larger edge-to-edge display that frames a screenshot of iOS 3.0 quite nicely. The case renders are similar to earlier pictures of iPhone 5 cases published by Case-Mate, and those were quickly removed from the manufacturer’s site after we posted them here on BGR. Is this what the iPhone 5 will look like? We’ll all find out in just over two hours.

Thanks, Chris

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We’ve just been sent an image of AT&T’s inventory system, and iPhone 5 cases are starting to appear ahead of the device’s launch some time next month. Case-mate, the company that slipped up earlier this month and posted iPhone 5 cases and renders before quickly removing them after we published the images, is the manufacturer of this first round of cases in AT&T’s system. Three different versions look to be headed to AT&T including a hard case, soft case and an iPhone 5 skin. Apple’s iPhone event takes place next Tuesday.

Thanks, Harken21

BGR has obtained images of refreshed iPhone 4 cases that have started to show up at AT&T corporate stores around the country, and there’s one noticeable difference: the size of the opening for the rear camera. If Apple is introducing a so-called “iPhone 4S” — an iPhone 4 in practically the same case with upgraded internals and a better camera mobile — then the camera sensor will be larger than the existing one on the current iPhone 4 model. In the images from our source, which depict cases from popular case manufacturers Otterbox and Speck, you can see the previous model cases next to the new ones to get an idea of just how much bigger the new camera opening is. The only reason to update an existing case that’s been on the market for more than a year with only one physical difference would obviously be to prepare for the arrival of an iPhone 4S-type handset, most likely in addition to the iPhone 5 next month. Check out more images in the gallery below.

UPDATE: Multiple people have reached out to let us know that the larger camera opening has to do with the LED flash on the current iPhone 4 and not a potential larger camera sensor. As such, the cases pictured above are likely not indicative of a new iPhone model.

UPDATE 2:  Here’s a photo of an Otterbox iPhone 4S thanks to @Chronic

The iPhone 5 hasn’t been announced yet, but that has not stopped accessory makers from posting upcoming cases for the highly anticipated handset. Case-Mate has published a page on its website with six different case designs for the new iPhone 5, and we’re loving the radical new body shown in the images. We’ve heard tons of speculation that the iPhone 5 will be thinner and lighter than the current model and these cases suggest it will have tapered edges and a slim profile as well. Finally, the images appear to an aluminum back on the fifth-generation iPhone, which also jibes with earlier reports. The iPhone 5 is expected to be available in the United States in October, so we’re not surprised to see leaks like this start to spill out across the web.

UPDATE: Case-Mate has pulled the iPhone 5 cases from its website.

Thanks, David

A leaked crop of images from 9to5 Mac suggest the rumors that Apple will release a thinner and lighter iPhone 5 are true. The images display a silicone case that is certainly thinner than the current iPhone 4. However, the shape of the case is also strikingly similar to the body of the iPod touch, which has us wondering if the case pictured is actually for Apple’s upcoming next-generation iPod touch and not the iPhone 5. Either way, 9to5 Mac says the photos are from a trusted source that leaked accurate information about the iPad 2. In addition, case makers are rumored to have started shipping new protective cases for the next-generation iPhone. We’re expecting Apple to announce the device in August and to begin shipping it in September, so we will find out soon enough. Read on for a second image.

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A series of what are purported to be leaked internal slides from RIM may reveal details surrounding various OEM BlackBerry PlayBook accessories. While the authenticity of the slides obtained by enthusiast blog Fommy has not been confirmed, they may give us our first glimpse as a variety of OEM accessories for the BlackBerry PlayBook, as well as pricing details and some projected availability dates. The slides show a variety of cases ranging in price from a $29.99 neoprene sleeve to a $59.99 book-style leather binder. Also seen on the slides is a $49 BlackBerry music gateway, a $99 Bluetooth keyboard and a $79.99 charging dock that props the PlayBook up while recharging the battery. The aforementioned music gateway and Bluetooth keyboard show initial shipment dates in July of this year — potentially up to four months after the Wi-Fi-only version of the PlayBook launches. The rest of the accessories do not show projected ship dates. Hit the break for two more purported slides.

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Here’s a little additional fodder for the iPad 2 rumor mill. Japanese blog Macotakara has posted a nearly three-minute video showcasing what are — purportedly — third-party cases for Apple’s second generation iPad. Previously, the same blog leaked images of what they were claiming was the exterior casing of the new device. The iPad 2 is expected to launch sometime in 2011 with the exact release date ranging anywhere from February to July — depending on which analyst’s opinion you fancy. Hit the jump to check out the aforementioned video.

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Well, well, well… That rumored touch screen square iPod nano is looking pretty solid right about now. Thanks to our lovely friends in manufacturing in Asia, 3rd party cases have started showing up online for the new iPod nano device. We’re not talking just one either, more like a whole heap — every color possible, too. In addition to cases, there is also a mockup along with sizing dimensions that has surfaced as well. We have to ask, is an incredibly small touchscreen iPod nano something that interests you, or will you stick to an iPod shuffle? Image of one of the cases after the break!

UPDATE: As one of our readers points out… what if this is just Apple’s new Shuffle? Would be pretty amazing, right?

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In response to Apple’s antenna-oriented press event, Consumer Reports responded by refusing to give the Apple iPhone 4 its golden seal of approval. The consumer product ratings company commended Apple for taking a first step in solving the antenna problem but denounced Apple’s case giveaway as a limited and temporary fix. Consumer Reports states:

Consumer Reports believes Apple’s offer of free cases is a good first step. However, Apple has indicated that this is not a long-term solution, it has guaranteed the offer only through September 30th, and has not extended it unequivocally to customers who bought cases from third-party vendors. We look forward to a long-term fix from Apple. As things currently stand, the iPhone 4 is still not one of our Recommended models.

Consumer Reports joins a growing list of companies, including Nokia and RIM, that are responding in a less than favorable way to Apple’s proposed solution.

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Vaja, a reputable case manufacturer known for high quality leather cases, has added an entry for the iPhone nano to its site. A round of rumors that started months ago and resurfaced recently when XSKN added iPhone nano cases to its site, several case manufacturers now have entries for the new shrunken Apple handset that doesn’t yet exist. A listing from XSKN is one thing but when a company like Vaja adds the iPhone nano to its site, you have to wonder if the handset’s release isn’t closer than we might think. iPhone fan blog iPhone Alley now states that an inside source is feeding them info pointing to an announcement at Macworld. While we’re skeptical at best with regards to this report – the blog states that its source reports the iPhone nano will “probably not include 3G” – a Macworld announcement is seeming more and more like a viable possibility. With the show only a week away at this point, at least we won’t have long to wait.

[Via iPhone Alley]

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So much for I’m sorry. It looks like XSKN is making no apologies for putting up iPhone nano case entries on its site as we discovered recently. Instead, the rogue retailer is now offering cases for sale. XSKN’s site is now littered with images of its iPhone nano case in a variety of color combinations and each is available for sale. Yup, $25 – $27 plus shipping will land you one of these cute new cases for a handset that many speculate will never exist. Sure, this is hardly solid evidence that we’re going to see the iPhone nano emerge any time soon and it is entirely possible that XSKN is allergic to repeat business and is just hoping to scam a handful of users out of a few pennies. On the flip side of the coin however, we might just be looking at a pretty good representation of a new Apple handset coming in the not-so-distant future. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again – the question isn’t if Apple will hit the $100 price mark with a future handset, the question is when.

Thanks, Jon!

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As much as everyone’s knee jerk reaction is to discount info like this, a brief pass over recent history tells us we probably shouldn’t be too quick to discount case manufacturers when it comes to leaking products. The iPhone 3G, second generation iPod Touch and even the current iPod nano model each had its form spied ahead of schedule as a result of leaks from case manufacturers – and now it might be the iPhone nano’s turn. This time around we’re not seeing any new imagery or mock-ups as we have in the past (though another manufacturer did leak an iPhone nano case mock-up earlier this year), but the simple “iPhone nano” entry on XSKN’s website could prove to be very telling. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist or even an analyst to tell you that Apple will eventually be issuing a handset on the cheap to corner yet another market segment, but it looks like that could happen sooner rather than later. No, don’t expect it to happen at Macworld as you can be sure Stevo will be there to soak up the attention. At the same time, Apple has the goods when it comes to marketing, positioning and taking advantage of just about any situation. As the economy continues to hamper consumer spending, don’t surprised if we see Cupertino hit the competition where it hurts and enter the $100 and maybe even sub-$100 price ranges during the coming year.

[Via MacRumors]

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