Apple was expected to introduce a new Mac mini at its spring event, but instead the company unveiled the Mac Studio, which is a hybrid of a Mac mini and a Mac Pro. Mac mini isn’t being phased out with the launch of Mac Studio, and a new version is still in the works from the company.
For the forthcoming Mac mini, 9to5Mac believes that Apple will employ the M2 processor instead of the M1 Max and M1 Ultra. Apple is said to be working on two different models of the Mac mini, one with a conventional M2 processor and the other with an M2 Pro chip for enhanced performance.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has previously told us a little bit about the M2 chip. A faster and more efficient version of the M1’s 8-core CPU will be included, as will a 9 or 10-core GPU, up from the M1’s 7 or 8 cores.
It is possible that the M2 Pro has a 12-core CPU, but we don’t yet have all the information. With a 10-core CPU and 16-core GPU in the M1 Pro, we may also see a bump in the graphics performance. According to the current beta of macOS Monterey, testing on the M2 has already begun.
High-end versions of the Mac mini with M1 Pro and M1 Max CPUs were reportedly “planned” by Apple but “probably discarded” in favour of the Mac Studio and a new M2 update, as reported by 9to5Mac.
According to previous speculations, Apple plans to rebuild the Mac mini in the future with a slimmer chassis, a plexiglass-like top, and two-tone colour possibilities for the body.
There’s a chance that Apple may update the Mac mini later this year, and the fact that the Intel variant is still available suggests that the computer isn’t going away anytime soon. For the time being, both the 2020 M1 and Intel Mac minis are available for purchase.
According to Gurman, future Mac improvements might be released as soon as May or June. There’s no information on a precise release date.