There’s Shark Week, and then there’s Mac Week. It’s a little less exciting, but Apple announced one for the first time New iMac yesterdayand today we get to enjoy a new Mac Mini. Tomorrow, you can most likely expect a new MacBook Pro, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
The Mac Mini is Apple’s smallest desktop computer, and it’s being redesigned for the first time in decades. Apple refreshed the machine in early 2023 with the M2 chipset, but the latest offering is powered by the all-new M4 Pro, a new processor launched today. The M4 series improves power efficiency and speed, and like its predecessor, it can take advantage of new technology Apple is smart launched this week on macOS Sequoia 15.1.
Apple’s smallest desktop computer starts at $599 now available for pre-order. It starts shipping on November 8.
Photo: Courtesy of Apple
Small But Stronger Than Ever
Okay, remember when Apple said Apple Watch Series 10 has a completely new design and still looks pretty similar to the others Apple Watch? Yes, small changes have made the Series 10 more comfortable and nicer to wear, but new The design is a bit tense. Like Mac Mini. It hasn’t received a major redesign since 2010, but things are changing now.
Desktop computers, which were already small, are now even larger smaller—measures 5 x 5 inches. Despite its smaller footprint, it’s a bit taller and the sloping base has vents for air circulation. In every way, it’s still a hunk of metal.
Apple finally added more ports on the front, making them easier to access. Two USB-C ports support USB 3.0 and there is a 3.5mm headphone jack. On the back, the M4-powered Mac Mini includes three Thunderbolt 4 ports while the M4 Pro version has three Thunderbolt 5 ports USB-C port (another first—Thunder 5 is the latest standard that supports data transfer speeds of up to 80 Gbps and is only available in very little equipment right now). Both models also have HDMI (to connect one external monitor), Ethernet connection (configurable up to 10 GB), and port for power cable. Apple has completely removed the USB-A ports on this model.
Unlike the iPhone, which arrives exactly in September every year, Apple’s desktop hardware can be a bit more discrete, and that naturally means the processors powering these machines not in chronological order. The last Mac Mini had an M2 chip, and no, this one doesn’t have an M3 but an M4 instead. There are 2 types for you to choose from: M4 or M4 Pro.
