Japanese tech blog Macotakara reports that an unnamed major third-party accessory maker has been forced to halt manufacturing of cases for the rumored iPad Mini due to unspecified changes in the 7.85-inch tablet’s design.

Photo credit: BoLoPad.com

If the report is true, it isn’t the first time that accessory producers have been tripped up by trying to offer accessories for new Apple devices ahead of time. Just last year, it was widely expected that Apple would use a drastically redesigned iPhone, and third-party manufacturers were burned by the Cupertino-based firm’s usage of what was essentially a slightly tweaked iPhone 4 case for the iPhone 4S.

Most of these manufacturers have likely based their designs on leaked pictures, which purport to show the upcoming iPad Mini’s design. These rumored specifications have even been used by enterprising groups in China, which have come up with convincing mock-ups of Apple’s cut-size tablet.

Macotakara claims that the “round shape” of the iPad Mini was changed, but it didn’t conjecture on how exactly the adjusted dimensions differ from prior leaks and mock-ups that may have been used by the unnamed accessory manufacturer.

Aside from the obvious size difference, the rumored iPad Mini is also expected to get a slight adjustment to its dimensions. Instead of keeping the relatively wide side bezel of the full-size iPad, it trims a bit off the side bezels surrounding its screen, which gives the tablet’s chassis a taller profile that reminds of the previous generation iPod Touch. Like the current full-size iPad, however, the iPad Mini is rumored to come in both black and white options, with some models having provision for mobile wireless internet connectivity.