In either case, the iPad Mini provides Apple with millions of new sales opportunities.

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At the same time, Samsung has also asked the court to delete an injunction on its Galaxy Tab 10.1, after the jury in the recent court case found it did not infringe Apple's design patent for the iPad tablet.

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The company is so convinced that Apple will release the iPad 5 in June that it is already investing in the production of a new case for the tablet.

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Apple has so far bucked the trend by tapping nascent markets, or as in the case of the iPad, by creating one.

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The success of the non-upgradeable Air empowered Apple to release the even-less-serviceable iPad two years later: The battery was glued into the case.

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The only problem: The case's specifications were based on guesses about what the new iPad might be like, not inside information from tight-lipped Apple, according to the company that made the case.

CNN: Alleged iPad 2 case is 'just a guess'

He says it does appear to be the case that Apple has trimmed some panel orders for the iPhone and iPod Touch as well as for the iPad and the MacBook, but he does not find the cuits alarming.

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