2024 might find yourself being an enormous 12 months for Apple’s smallest Mac. Whereas different Macs are rumored to get iterative spec bumps, the Mac mini will reportedly bear drastic modifications–modifications which will shift the notion of the gadget. When all is claimed and accomplished, the Mac mini might find yourself being Apple’s most intriguing pc. Right here’s what it’s essential know concerning the upcoming Mac mini and why you’ll be available in the market for it, whether or not you realize it or not.
When you’ve got an previous Mac mini and improve to the M4, put that previous machine to good use–listed here are concepts on what to do with that previous Mac mini.
New smaller design
The design that Apple launched in 2010 goes away. In line with Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple goes to make the Mac mini smaller–concerning the measurement of the present Apple TV, which measures 3.7 by 3.7 by 1.2 inches (93 by 93 by 31 millimeters), dramatically smaller than the present mini’s 7.75 by 7.75 by 1.41 inch (19.7 by 19.7 x 3.58 cm) body.
Apple
(Pause for trivia: When the 2010 Mac mini arrived, it was truly the identical measurement because the 2007 Apple TV, which on the time was a lot larger. Later in 2010, Apple launched a smaller Apple TV design, that’s just like the present Apple TV 4K field.)
A smaller Mac mini has been rumored for years. Teardowns of the M1 and M2 Mac mini present that the change to M-series chips permits for smaller motherboards and different elements, leaving quite a lot of house inside these Macs. Appears to be like like Apple lastly is eliminating that house to make a smaller footprint.
The brand new design means it takes up much less house, which is nice when you’ve got a small desk or simply need to cut back the quantity of muddle in your workspace. It additionally means it should use fewer supplies for manufacturing and packaging, so it’s friendlier to the atmosphere. That ought to please Mom Nature.
Better portability
A smaller Mac mini opens new cellular potentialities. Whereas most individuals consider MacBooks in the case of portability, the Mac mini is usually utilized in cellular conditions. Folks get artistic with the Mac mini and use it in automobile installations, kiosks, DJ setups, and extra. It’s less expensive than a MacBook too, so an ultra-portable mini is usually a nice choice for college students and distant employees who want to vary areas repeatedly.
What if Apple made an orange Mac mini that was slightly sibling to the orange iMac? Cute!
Foundry
Colourful colours
Apple presently gives the Mac mini in silver and solely silver. In case you’re hoping for a revival of the house grey Mac mini, it’s most likely not occurring–an area black Mac mini can be so cool however most likely isn’t occurring, both. Why? Because the Apple TV is black, Apple will most likely hold the Mac mini in silver to distinguish the 2.
However right here’s some wishful considering: It’d be cool if Apple determined to deal with the Mac mini just like the iMac and supply it within the iMac colours. Apple may supply the M4 Mac mini in blue, pink, inexperienced, and silver, with the M2 Professional accessible in the identical colours plus orange, purple, and yellow. Nonetheless, no stories have been made concerning the Mac mini colours and it appears most possible that silver is the way in which Apple will go.
The present Mac mini has an aluminum case and the Apple TV has a plastic one. Since aluminum is best at dissipating warmth, Apple will probably use it for the brand new Mac mini.
M4 chip
The brand new Mac mini goes to be the centerpiece of the M4 Mac rollout. The present Mac mini has both the bottom M2 chip or the M2 Professional. Apple is sticking with this configuration providing, however in response to Gurman, the timing is perhaps completely different, with the M4 accessible instantly and the M4 Professional coming just a few weeks later.
The M4 made its debut within the iPad Professional and that offers us a good suggestion of how briskly an M4 Mac mini might be. The iPad Professional’s M4 is 45 p.c sooner than the Mac mini’s M2–the Mac mini’s M4 might be a tad bit sooner, due to the Mac mini’s type issue that enables it to higher dissipate warmth. And if the Mac mini has a cooling fan–the iPad Professional doesn’t have one–possibly the Mac mini’s pace will likely be just a few extra proportion factors sooner.
Then there’s additionally the M4 Professional coming to the Mac mini for much more efficiency. Anticipate to see a forty five p.c enhance in efficiency over the M2 Professional. An M4 Professional mannequin will likely be superb for customers who do quite a lot of processor-intensive duties.
If you’re nonetheless utilizing an Intel-based Mac mini, the efficiency beneficial properties with the M4 are big. The quickest Intel Mac mini is a 2018 mannequin with a 3.2GHz 6-core Core i7 processor–the M4 iPad Professional is 162 p.c sooner. That makes the M4 Mac mini a troublesome improve to go up.
Apple Intelligence
AI is all the craze and Apple Intelligence is how the corporate is advertising and marketing its AI options. An M-series chip is required to run Apple Intelligence, so an M4 and its predecessors are appropriate.
Apple
If you have already got an M1 or M2 Mac mini, you may run Apple Intelligence, so this purpose alone isn’t a compelling one for upgrading. However it’s when you’ve got an Intel Mac mini if the efficiency increase and new design aren’t sufficient.
Apple Intelligence consists of writing instruments to examine your grammar and make revisions that enhance upon your unique drafts; Precedence Notifications; summaries for Mail and Safari; and extra. There’s additionally a set of generative AI instruments for photos and photographs. Apple will likely be releasing these options over the months after macOS Sequoia is formally launched, and that’s simply to begin. Apple Intelligence is now a core a part of macOS and Apple will continually develop new Apple Intelligence options.
ports
Logic dictates that if Apple is making the Mac mini smaller, then it could not have the identical ports as the present Mac mini. In line with Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple has examined new Mac minis with three USB-C ports, HDMI, and an influence port. He has not mentioned which, if any, ports will likely be left off the gadget.
The 2 USB-A ports on the present Mac mini are prone to be not on the brand new Mac mini, so older gadgets will want an adapter. It looks as if there might not be room for gigabit ethernet, both. That might be a problem for people who like to make use of the Mac mini as a server or desire the pace of a wired community.
The brand new Mac mini will likely be about the identical measurement because the Apple TV 4K (above), which implies it gained’t have a lot room for a wide range of ports.
Apple
Gurman didn’t particularly say whether or not the USB-C ports are Thunderbolt (they’ve the identical connector), however for the reason that present Mac mini has as much as 4 Thunderbolt ports, it’s probably the brand new Mac mini will as nicely. It’s additionally doable Apple provides an SD card reader just like the MacBook Professional or a front-facing USB-C port just like the Mac Studio.
We’ve been ready for years for Apple to supply a first-party hub for the Mac mini so as to add additional USB ports in addition to Ethernet, HDMI, card slots, and extra. We haven’t heard any rumors about such an adjunct however you may take a look at some wonderful third-party choices in our information to one of the best USB-C hubs and adapters for Macs.
An reasonably priced mini powerhouse
The Mac mini is Apple’s most reasonably priced Mac. Granted, it doesn’t embody a show, keyboard, or mouse but it surely’s not troublesome to seek out good variations and nonetheless keep nicely underneath the worth of a low-end iMac. We also have a record of one of the best shows that will help you discover one.
The Mac mini from 2018 seems to be precisely just like the one from 2024—aside from the house grey coloration.
Foundry
That being mentioned, it’s doable Apple may increase the worth of the Mac mini. Possibly the iPad Professional offers us a peek at what Apple would possibly do with the Mac mini pricing. The 11-inch M4 iPad Professional with a 256GB SSD is $999–that’s $100 greater than the 11-inch M2 iPad Professional with 256GB that it changed. Nonetheless, Apple upgraded the show within the M4 iPad Professional from LED to OLED, in order that needs to be thought of within the value enhance. It additionally acquired a slight redesign with a thinner body, smaller bezels, and a entrance digicam located on the panorama edge.
The Mac mini’s value historical past might also give us an concept of what Apple might do. The unique Mac mini was launched in 2005 beginning at $499. In 2006, that base value was raised to $599. Since then, its common value has been larger than that, with the M1 mannequin beginning at $699 and the M2 falling again to $599.
Presently, the M2 Mac mini begins at $599 and the M2 Professional mannequin begins at $1,299. With costs going up for every part these days, I believe we’ll see the Mac mini value go up, maybe to $699/$1,399. Even so, it’s nonetheless a fairly whole lot for one of the distinctive Macs Apple has ever made.