Updated high-end Mac minis are being developed by Apple, and the new machines will replace the current Intel-based Mac minis. In 2020, Apple introduced the M1 version of the entry-level Mac mini, and the firm is now poised to complete the move to Apple silicon throughout the whole range.
Everything we know so far about the upcoming update of the Mac mini is included in this guide.
Design
However, we don’t yet know what the new design of the Mac mini will look like from Apple.
Details on the next Mac mini have been leaked by leaker Jon Prosser, who has had a mixed track record when it comes to correctly forecasting Apple’s future plans. A plexiglass-like top would sit over the metal casing of the next Mac mini, he claims, and the total dimensions might be less than that of the present model.
In terms of port arrangement, however, this design is not correct since there would not be such a small gap between USB-C ports as seen in the renderings given by Prosser.
Colours
It’s possible that the Mac mini will come in hues other than space grey or silver, similar to the 24-inch iMac’s two-tone design. There are no definite colour possibilities for the Mac mini, thus Apple may choose to stay with the regular Mac mini hues instead.
Ports
Four Thunderbolt connections, two USB-A ports, Ethernet, and an HDMI port are all expected to be included in the next Mac mini from Apple, in addition to the same magnetic charging cord seen in the company’s 24-inch iMac.
A Silicon Chip from Apple
Mac mini models manufactured after 2021 will use the M1 Pro and M1 Max CPUs, which initially appeared in the MacBook Pro models of that year.
comparing the m1 pro with the max feature
High-end Mac minis will use the M1 Max and Pro chips, while the entry-level Mac minis will continue to employ the M1 processor. With eight high-power and two high-efficiency cores, both processors have a 10-core CPU, while an 8-core version is also available for MacBook Pros.
The M1 Pro chip has a 16-core GPU (compared to 14 cores in the 14-inch MacBook Pro base model), while the M1 Max has a 32-core GPU (with a lower-tier 24-core variant also available as an upgrade) for graphics processing power. The Mac mini may also be able to use these chips in the future.
Because the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips allow up to 32 and 64 GB of RAM, respectively, the next Mac mini will also support this memory capacity. The Mac mini M1 has a maximum of 16GB of RAM.
The date of its release
New Mac minis are expected to arrive in 2022, and it seems like they might arrive as early as March. It’s possible that the new Mac mini may be unveiled during an Apple event scheduled for Tuesday, March 8.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the spring event will see a new Mac with an Apple silicon processor, but other Macs are not likely to be updated until later in the year. However, display expert Ross Young recently said that a new iMac will not be available until the summer.
The Mac mini seems to be a plausible option for an early 2022 release, with the iMac being delayed until the summer and expected Mac Pro and MacBook Air upgrades arriving in the autumn.