Shark Week may draw more excitement, but this period can be considered Mac Week with Apple rolling out new products. A new iMac was announced yesterday, followed by the introduction of a Mac Mini today. There is speculation that a new MacBook Pro might be revealed tomorrow, but that remains to be seen.
Apple’s Mac Mini, known for being its most compact desktop computer, has received its first redesign in many years. The machine was updated earlier this year with the M2 chipset, but the latest version features the newly introduced M4 Pro processor. This new processor offers improvements in power efficiency and speed and, like its predecessor, supports the recently launched Apple Intelligence, which is available with macOS Sequoia 15.1.
The latest Mac Mini starts at $599 and is open for preorder now, with shipments commencing on November 8.
Though Apple previously claimed that the Apple Watch Series 10 had a completely new design but still looked remarkably similar to earlier models, the changes did enhance comfort. The Mac Mini’s redesign follows a similar pattern, as it hasn’t seen major design changes since 2010, but modifications have now been made.
The Mac Mini has become even smaller, measuring 5 x 5 inches, though it is slightly taller with a base that slopes down to include airflow vents. The device maintains its design as a metallic cube.
A notable change is the addition of front ports, making access easier. The Mac Mini features two USB-C ports supporting USB 3.0 and a 3.5-mm headphone jack on the front. The M4-powered version includes three Thunderbolt 4 ports on the back, while the M4 Pro version supports the newer Thunderbolt 5 USB-C ports, the latest standard allowing up to 80 Gbps data transfer speeds. Both models also feature HDMI for external display connections, a configurable Ethernet port with up to 10 GB capacity, and a power cable port, with the USB-A ports being removed.
Unlike the predictably timed iPhone announcements, Apple’s desktop hardware releases can be less regular. Consequently, the processors in these devices do not follow a chronological order. The last Mac Mini was equipped with the M2 chip, and the latest version skips directly to the M4. Consumers have the option to choose between the M4 and M4 Pro versions.