iPhone 5 cases strike again — feature tapered edges, thin design

As much as Apple tries to keep its new gadgets secret, case makers inevitably end up spoiling things. Another batch of new case designs for the iPhone 5 has been revealed, this time from Case-Mate, that show off an intriguing new tapered design and thin profile, reports the mobile site Boy Genius Report.

The cases appeared on Case-Mate’s site this morning but were later removed. Case-Mate may have removed the images just to be safe, or it could have been ordered to do so by Apple, but whatever the reason, the take-down of the images fuels speculation that the iPhone 5 design they depicted is accurate.

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Judging from the little we can see of Case-Mate’s iPhone mockups — which show the rear of the phone tapering down on all sides — it looks like Apple is moving away from a glass rear design and is opting for metal instead. The tapered design also resembles Apple’s iPad 2, so it wouldn’t exactly be a new look for the company.

The last iPhone 5 cases we saw pointed to the phone having a 4-inch screen and thin design as well.

Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 5 later this month for an early or mid-October release.