Since its inception back in 2005, the Mac mini has been one of the most popular Macs Apple has ever made, with the advantage of offering users the possibility of purchasing a computer with the macOS operating system at an unbeatable price.
Almost two decades later, the equipment has undergone variations in its configuration, but it has always remained the cheapest and most compact desktop computer. So much so that Apple used it for the launch of its first M1 chip in November 2020.
Now, rumors are circulating about Apple’s plans to carry out a major update to the Mac mini that could elevate it to the highest range of performance and features, something that we have already seen in the MacBook Air M2 presented in the last edition of WWDC 2022.
After the arrival at the beginning of the year of the new Mac Studio, some have come to think that the plans for the new Mac mini have been disrupted, but not everything is said. Here we offer you all the information you need to know to know Apple’s plans for this gifted team, the sea of ​​​​compact.
When will Apple introduce the new Mac mini?
Hopes that the new Mac mini would arrive at WWDC 2022 have faded after its celebration. It is true that the new Mac will arrive this year if Apple wants to meet its deadlines for adopting Apple Silicon chips, so it is not ruled out that the Mac mini will also have to be renewed at the end of the year.
While buying a Mac mini right now is still the cheapest way to get access to one of Apple’s new M1-chip computers, and thus its macOS operating system, we know that Apple is working on a new Mac mini with M1 chips. M2.
This new model, which could foreseeably arrive throughout 2022 according to predictions, would not replace the current Mac mini M1 models, but would definitively replace the Mac mini model with Intel technology that Apple maintains for sale.
Mac mini 2: the latest rumors
On April 14, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that Apple is internally testing a Mac mini M2 codenamed J473, with 8 CPU cores and 10 GPU cores.
Apple is also reportedly testing a Mac mini with the M2 Pro chip, codenamed J474; a Mac mini with an M1 Pro named J374 and a Mac mini M1 Max although this model may not be commercial.
Developer Steven Troughton-Smith also notes on Twitter that the latest Studio Display update includes a reference to a Mac mini that isn’t yet available.
The third reference that comes to us is from analyst Ming-Cho Kuo who claims that the 2023 Mac mini will have the same shape and design as the current model.
News that Apple plans to launch a new Mac mini came via a May Bloomberg report by Mark Gurman stating that “Apple is preparing to launch several Mac laptops and desktops with faster processors.”
Now that we have seen that the hopes of seeing the new Mac mini at WWDC 2022 have faded, we remain convinced that the team is due for renewal in 2022, so it is very likely that its final presentation can come true at some event in the next fallmaybe in October.
How much will the new Mac mini cost?
Apple hasn’t changed the design of the Mac mini over the years, not because it couldn’t, but because, it told us, there are a number of server farms and other organizations using the Mac mini in existing form factor configurations.
But it seems that this could now change. Well-known Apple leaker Jon Prosser has revealed design details of the new Mac mini model, indicating that it will be significantly slimmer than the current one.
Ian Zelbo has made some illustrations based on the findings and Prosser has shared them. The renders indicate that the new mini will come in silver and white, rather than one of the bright new color options seen on the 24-inch iMac.
These renders are based on rumours, but they give us an idea of ​​what Apple could present soon. Ports are the same as for Intel’s latest model, with four Thunderbolt USB C, two USB-A, Ethernet, and HDMI.
Prosser shared the news in a video on his Front Page Tech channel.
Although Prosser has been wrong on several occasions, he has had some great hits on his predictions. AppleTrack currently gives it an accuracy rating of 78.1%.
Specifications of the new Mac mini 2 of 2022
As mentioned, the Mac mini model that Apple is preparing is the high-end mini, so its specifications will be higher than those of the current Mac mini M1, which would also translate into a higher price.
According to the Bloomberg report, this more powerful version will have the same chip that we will also see at the core of the new MacBook Pros. This machine has the code name J374 used and would carry Apple’s new M1X chip inside, or well, the M2 present in the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro 13.
If at this point you are wondering if it is possible to integrate the new M1 Ultra chip into the case of the Mac mini, it seems unlikely based on the number of cores that the chip has and the type of heatsink that must be integrated to guarantee its temperature. of suitable work.
Processor
The Mac mini was one of the first Macs to get the M1 processor, so it makes sense that the next model would be the first to get what we consider the evolution or M2 generation.
The latest rumors suggest that, with the Mac Studio sporting an M1 Max and M1 Ultra, there are no plans to make a Mac mini with a “Max” chip variant. Instead, the updated Mac mini will be available in M2 and M2 Pro configurations.
Specifically, the M2 CPU will likely feature the same eight CPU cores as the M1, split evenly between performance and efficiency, with a 10-core GPU (double the A15’s 5 cores).
The M2 Pro will likely have 10 CPU cores (2 efficiency and 8 performance), just like the M1 Pro, and a 20-core GPU.
It could also be the case that once we get to know the new generation of M1 Ultra, M1 Max and M1 Pro chips, Apple will use these same processors for its Mac mini desktop as well.
Graphics
The GPU of the new M1 Max and M1 Pro guarantees a maximum of 16 cores, also twice as fast as the M1 and, again, compared to a next generation discrete GPU in a laptop, the M1 Pro offers more performance using 70% less energy.
Apple offers the possibility to be configured with 32 GB of high-speed unified memory, memory bandwidth of up to 200 GB/s, and a power capable of benefiting both creative professionals and gamers and artists who use the equipment for their day to day.
RAM and storage
One of the benefits of the Intel Mac mini that Apple continues to sell is that it can be configured to support a total of 64GB of RAM. The current Mac mini M1 has a maximum of 16 GB of RAM, something that could change with the arrival of the new model.
You can’t add more than that. For some, that’s a great reason not to buy a Mac M1. The good news is that according to the May Bloomberg report, we could see up to 64GB of RAM supported in the new high-end Mac mini.
Storage-wise, storage is likely to start at 256GB for the M2 model and 512GB on the M2 Pro model, maxing out at 4TB or so.
Ports and peripherals
Both the old model and the new Mac mini offer two USB-A ports and an HDMI 2.0 port, and this will likely continue in the new version. One of the main benefits of the older Mac mini from 2018 is that it has four Thunderbolt 3/USB-C ports.
As you may know, the current M1 models only have two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports. (The image below shows the ports on the 2018 Mac mini.)
The good news is that the new Mac mini will apparently offer four ports instead of the two it currently has. It seems that this capacity is given thanks to its improved neural engine, which will allow the improved management of more Thunderbolt ports.
This is also likely to affect compatibility with external displays. One of the main drawbacks of the Mac mini M1 is the fact that it only supports one 5K display and one 4K display, while the 2018 Intel-powered Mac mini supports up to three 4K displays.
Query how to connect two or more displays to mac with m1 (AppleSilicon).
The arrival of 802.11ac Wi-Fi connectivity and the option of 10Gb Ethernet in the new model is also to be expected (the latter is a feature of the 2018 model).
Apple does not ship the Mac mini with an Apple keyboard, so at this time you must provide your own or purchase one.
That’s unlikely to change, but we do anticipate that Apple will begin offering its new Touch ID keyboard alongside the Mac mini, much like its predecessors. iMac from 2021.
