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The last time the Mac mini form factor was changed, Steve Jobs was still alive. That’s how long we’ve lived with the current physical appearance of Apple’s tiny desktop powerhouse.
The Mac mini was rejuvenated and brought back from what many believed to be a one-way ticket to certain death when the M1 chip was launched in 2020. Suddenly, what was once a Mac bristling with potential but held back by Intel was everything it should be: fast, quiet, and the most affordable point of entry into the wonderful world of macOS.
At the time of writing, the most powerful Mac mini you can buy is the M2 Pro version. I have one, and it’s utterly brilliant. But you can buy an iPad Pro with a much more capable chip, and the Mac mini has also been surpassed by the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and iMac in the M-series chip stakes. To compound matters, the chips in question are the M4 chip for the iPad Pro and the M3 chip for the aforementioned Mac lineup.
It’s confusing, but it’s about to get a lot less confusing (hopefully), and the Mac mini looks like it’s in for one hell of an update (hopefully).
The latest M4 Mac mini rumours
Last week, rumours began to surface about an autumn launch for a new Mac mini. If they’re to be believed, Apple’s smallest computer is going to become the company’s smallest ever computer while still packing the latest Apple silicon.
As noted, this would be the first major design change to the Mac mini since 2010. The rumours suggest that the new Mac mini will be about the same size as an Apple TV, but a little bit taller than the current Mac mini (which is 1.4 inches high).
It’ll still be made from aluminium, apparently, and feature at least three USB-C ports on the back, along with space for an HDMI port and the obligatory power connection. No other technical details have surfaced at the time of writing.
Sources suggest that there will still be two versions of the Mac mini – a regular, base model, with the standard M4 chip, and another featuring an M4 Pro chip.
If you’re wondering when you can get your hands on this new miniaturised Mac mini, September sounds likely, although some of the rumours suggest the M4 Pro version will follow later in October. Apple is also expected to update the entire Mac lineup (yes, including the Mac Studio and Mac Pro) with the M4 chip over the next year.
Thoughts on the M4 Mac mini rumours
If you’ve watched any teardowns of the current Mac mini, you’ll have noticed that there are acres of space in there now that it’s powered by Apple silicon. Gone are the gubbins that were required for the Intel generation of the Mac mini; this is, clearly, a computer chassis that is vastly oversized for the hardware it encases.
However, while I’m all for a redesign of the Mac mini, it shouldn’t be forced just because it can be smaller. More worryingly, we know from prior Apple minification exercises that stuff is often removed when devices shrink in size.
Will the M4 Mac mini have USB-A ports? That’s one of its selling points at the moment; as ancient as one might think USB-A ports are, they’re still incredibly useful for desktop computers when it comes to expandability and compatibility with third-party hardware. The same goes for the headphone port – losing that would be a huge bummer for any wired headphone users who don’t use an external audio interface with their Mac mini.
I also assume that the possible reduction in the size of the Mac mini means I can kiss goodbye to any hope that we might see the reappearance of an SD card slot on Apple’s smallest desktop computer.
There’s the rack mount crew, too. If you weren’t aware, the Mac mini is regularly bought in bulk and rack-mounted by those who want to harness its affordable power within a server environment. Anything smaller is going to require a rethink of those rackmount setups (although you can guarantee that third-party adaptors will quickly flood the market).
This is why, as always with any big redesign, Apple needs to tell the right story. Why is it the smallest computer they’ve ever made? Who is it for? In which scenarios will it make the most sense? The current generation M2 Mac mini 2023 will likely be relegated to an entry-level unit, therefore one of Apple’s biggest tasks will be to swing the attention away from what is still a brilliant option for most people. I can’t wait to see how they do that.
Wrapping up: My plans for the M4 Mac mini
I’ll be covering the M4 Mac mini once it arrives in great detail. It’s arriving (hopefully) at a very opportune time. We’re in the middle of a big studio rejig – part of which will be the creation of a music production area for a new content brand we’re working on.
The engine room for that music production area was going to be the M2 Pro Mac mini, and it will be – until the M4 version arrives. If the rumours are true, it feels like this will be the perfect long-term test for the next-generation Mac mini.
I’m cautiously excited about these rumours. If the next Mac mini really is going to be that much smaller than the current model, will the inevitable compromises be worth it? I guess we’ll find out pretty soon!
Before you go
