Bloomberg: Apple Watch Series 4 Models Compatible With Existing Bands, No New iPad Mini This Year

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Debby Wu today previewed details about Apple's widely rumored trio of 2018 iPhones. Towards the end of the report, there are also a few details about the Apple Watch and iPad that we've highlighted below.

apple watch ipad mini
The first noteworthy tidbit is that Apple Watch Series 4 models will be compatible with existing bands, as they are said to have a similar physical size as Series 3 models and earlier. Gurman already said as much earlier this year, but there were some lingering concerns from MacRumors readers in our discussion forums.

Apple Watch Series 4 models are still expected to have up to 15 percent larger displays, as a result of slimmer bezels around the screen. They're also expected to have slightly longer battery life, along with new health and fitness features.

The second tidbit worth singling out is that the iPad mini won't be updated this year, according to Gurman. That information corroborates DigiTimes, which recently reported that "Apple so far has no further plan for the iPad mini series," which hasn't been refreshed since the iPad mini 4 launched in September 2015.

Apple's focus on the lower-cost 9.7-inch iPad may result in the iPad mini line being discontinued eventually, although Gurman hasn't specified.

We're likely just a few weeks away from Apple's usual September event at Steve Jobs Theater, with invites to the media likely to be issued this week. In addition to the new iPhones and Apple Watch Series 4 models, Apple is expected to unveil two new iPad Pros with Face ID, new AirPods, and AirPower pricing and availability.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch 10, iPad mini
Related Forum: iPad

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

iPhone 17 Release Date, Pre-Orders, and What to Expect

Thursday August 28, 2025 4:08 am PDT by
An iPhone 17 announcement is a dead cert for September 2025 – Apple has already sent out invites for an "Awe dropping" event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The timing follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. At the event, Apple is expected to unveil its new-generation iPhone 17, an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17...
iPhone 17 Pro Iridescent Feature 2

iPhone 17 Pro Clear Case Leak Reveals Three Key Changes

Sunday August 31, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series on Tuesday, September 9, and last-minute rumors about the devices continue to surface. The latest info comes from a leaker known as Majin Bu, who has shared alleged images of Apple's Clear Case for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, or at least replicas. Image Credit: @MajinBuOfficial The images show three alleged changes compared to Apple's iP...
xiaomi apple ad india

Apple and Samsung Push Back Against Xiaomi's Bold India Ads

Friday August 29, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple and Samsung have reportedly issued cease-and-desist notices to Xiaomi in India for an ad campaign that directly compares the rivals' devices to Xiaomi's products. The two companies have threatened the Chinese vendor with legal action, calling the ads "disparaging." Ads have appeared in local print media and on social media that take pot shots at the competitors' premium offerings. One...
iOS 18 on iPhone Arrow Down

Apple Preparing iOS 18.7 for iPhones as iOS 26 Release Date Nears

Sunday August 31, 2025 4:35 pm PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 18.7 for compatible iPhone models, according to evidence of the update in the MacRumors visitor logs. We expect iOS 18.7 to be released in September, alongside iOS 26. The update will likely include fixes for security vulnerabilities, but little else. iOS 18.7 will be one of the final updates ever released for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR,...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: iPhone 17's 'Awe Dropping' Accessories

Friday August 29, 2025 8:12 am PDT by
Following the announcement of Apple's upcoming "Awe dropping" event, on this week's episode of The MacRumors Show we talk through all of the new accessories rumored to debut alongside the iPhone 17 lineup. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos We take a closer look at Apple's invite for "Awe dropping;" the design could hint at the iPhone 17's new thermal system with ...

Top Rated Comments

TimUSCA Avatar
92 months ago
iPad mini: makes sense. With the new larger plus iPhone, can’t see much of a need.
Don't underestimate the number of children who use an iPad. And when it comes to parents footing the bill, the cheaper the better. There's a huge market for children that use iOS but certainly don't need an iPhone.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PickUrPoison Avatar
92 months ago
No. The plus sized phones and the mini are completely different sizes. They do not compare at all. I have both and love the mini. Mine is old and I don’t want a full sized iPad.
Especially true now that the Plus aspect ratio is 19.5:9, which makes it all but unusable for most mini use cases. iPad mini is almost twice as large as the soon to be released X Plus:



Attachment Image
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
piker944 Avatar
92 months ago
Whew! Ordering the 4 to replace my original Apple Watch and definitely wasn't wanting to purchase all new bands.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ThunderSkunk Avatar
92 months ago
The iPad Mini either does not sell well (and Apple believes would not sell any better with a spec bump) or it sells well enough as-is that spec-bumping it would likely not boost sales significantly and would erode margins (if kept at the same price). So it will continue to limp along as-is.
The mini was the best selling ipad while Apple kept up with updates. Their response to those sales numbers was to not update it further, and year after year, let sales diminish. Eventually they'll be able to point to low sales as reason to discontinue it, but it's entirely a choice they've made regardless of sales. Instead of updating it, or adding Pencil support, they've created several new larger, cheaper ipads and pushed those instead, entirely missing the appeal and utility of the Mini, like everyone else in this thread who thinks a plus sized iPhone is an equivalent device. It is not.

It's somewhat obvious they never looked into how people use minis, and mistakenly regarded the model as the budget ipad, then sought to make more profitable replacements for it that were all-around cheaper to build than a full featured iPad squeezed into the more convenient 7.9" frame. Add it to the Macbook Air, the Macbook Pro 17", the Air Ex/TC, Cinema Display line, etc. The most useful & popular devices Apple built, all on the fire.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mollyc Avatar
92 months ago
With the bigger iPhone size, iPad m

Expected news. Current size iPhone is an iPad mini with the same exact iOS [emoji23]
No. The plus sized phones and the mini are completely different sizes. They do not compare at all. I have both and love the mini. Mine is old and I don’t want a full sized iPad.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gotluck Avatar
92 months ago
they dont want to update the mini because it cannibalizes the plus

unfortunate because i vastly prefer non plus phone + mini combo
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)