Apple will kick off the Mac’s transition to the M4 chips next month, and one of the headlining updates will be the Mac mini. With an all-new design, two different M4 variations, and more, here’s everything we know so far about the new Mac mini coming soon.
New Mac mini design
The Mac mini was first introduced in 2005 and underwent its first major redesign in 2010, switching to a unibody aluminum enclosure and ditching the optical drive. That same footprint has been the basis of the Mac mini for the last 14 years, but that will change next month.
According to Bloomberg, Apple is prepping a wholly redesigned Mac mini. The biggest change will be a significant size reduction. The new Mac mini will reportedly be “far smaller than its predecessor” and feature a form factor similar to the Apple TV.
For context, here are the current dimensions of the Apple TV 4K:
- Height: 1.2 inches (31 mm)
- Width: 3.66 inches (93 mm)
- Depth: 3.66 inches (93 mm)
According to the report, the M4 Mac mini’s overall footprint will be smaller than the current Mac mini, but it could be slightly taller. Here are the current dimensions of the Mac mini:
- Height: 1.41 inches (3.58 cm)
- Width: 7.75 inches (19.70 cm)
- Depth: 7.75 inches (19.70 cm)
With these numbers in mind, the M4 Mac mini could be around half the overall size of the current model. That’s an impressive reduction in size for what’s already Apple’s smallest Mac.
Performance
The Mac mini will reportedly be available in two different variations: the M4 chip and the M4 Pro chip. This aligns with the current Mac mini, which is available with either the M2 chip or the M2 Pro.
The base model M4 chip in the Mac mini will be similar to the M4 chip used in the latest iPad Pro, according to Bloomberg. The M4 Pro version, meanwhile, will be configurable with higher amounts of unified memory and better graphics performance.
We’re still waiting on more details about the exact configurations for the new M4 Mac mini variants. For example, the current M2 Mac mini maxes out at 16GB of RAM while the M2 Pro version maxes out at 32GB of unified memory. Whether or not the M4 models can scale higher than remains to be seen.
Connectivity
The current M2-powered Mac mini features the following connectivity options:
- Two Thunderbolt 4 ports
- Two USB-A ports (up to 5Gb/s)
- HDMI port
- Gigabit Ethernet port (configurable to 10Gb Ethernet)
- 3.5 mm headphone jack
The M2 Pro Mac mini, meanwhile, offers the same connectivity options but with four Thunderbolt 4 ports instead of two.
Bloomberg has reported that the Mac mini will finally ditch its USB-A ports with the redesign this year. At least one of the new Mac mini models will feature five USB-C ports, with three located on the back and two on the front for easy access. Aaron Perris also discovered evidence in Apple’s backend confirming a new Apple Silicon-powered Mac mini with five ports.
What remains to be seen is whether the M4 version of the Mac mini will have fewer USB-C ports than the M4 Pro version.
In addition to the USB-C ports, the new Mac mini will feature an HDMI port, headphone jack, and ethernet connectivity. The power supply will also remain internal.
New Mac mini release date
Apple is expected to hold an event in October focused on the M4 transition for the Mac. The new Macs, including the new Mac mini, will then begin shipping to consumers. One report suggested that shipping will commence in November, suggesting the event will be held toward the end of October.
What do you think of the Mac mini redesign rumors? Are you considering a purchase? Let us know in the comments.
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