Apple's New Mac Mini: Smaller Design and M4 Chip Coming Soon

Apple hasn't updated its Mac mini desktop computers since early 2023. Back then, they added M2 and M2 Pro chips and stopped selling the old Intel models. Now, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says Apple will update the Mac mini later this year. Interestingly, they'll skip the M3 chip and go straight to the M4.

But that's not all. The new Mac mini will also get a new, smaller design. Gurman says it might be about the size of an Apple TV box. It could be a bit taller, but it will take up much less space on your desk. The new mini might have "at least three USB-C ports," plus a power connector and an HDMI port.

This is not the first time an Apple Silicon Mac has skipped a chip generation. For example, the 24-inch iMac did not get the M2 chip. Instead, it went straight from the M1 chip to the M3 chip. The Mac Pro also skipped the M1 series, moving from Intel chips directly to the M2.

If the M4 chip comes out by the end of 2024, it will be faster than previous Apple Silicon chips. There was about a year and a half between the first M1 Macs in late 2020 and the first M2 Macs in summer 2022. A similar time passed between mid-2022 and late 2023 when the first M3 Macs were introduced. If Apple keeps the usual 18-month gap between the M3 and M4 Macs, there is still time for a new Mac mini with the M3 chip to be released.

Apple last updated the Mac mini in January 2022. They replaced the M1 model with an M2 version and added a new model with an M2 Pro chip. This new model has more Thunderbolt ports, better support for external displays, and improved CPU and GPU performance. Most of Apple’s desktop computers, including both Mac minis, the Mac Studio, and the Mac Pro, are still using M2 chips. However, all the laptops and the iMac have been updated to M3 chips.

According to Gurman, the M4 series will focus on AI. This means it will likely improve the Neural Engine in the processors. This will help support new AI features expected in iOS 18 and other major updates this year. Apple has an advantage in this area because all M-series and A-series chips since the A11 Bionic in 2017 have had a version of the Neural Engine. In contrast, Intel and AMD have only started adding similar features in the last year.

Gurman has not shared details about the M4 series, but he mentioned it will have at least three performance levels. These are a base model called "Donan," a mid-range version called "Brava," and a high-end model called "Hidra." It is still unclear which of these chips will replace the Pro, Max, and Ultra processors in the current M2 and M3 Macs.

CREDIT: arstechnica.com