Apple’s Mac Mini was one of many first in Apple’s repertoire to get the improve to Apple’s M1 silicon in November 2020, and the efficiency was spectacular – particularly on the Mac Mini’s tempting £699/$699 price ticket.

However regardless of its recognition, it appears Apple could have one thing even greater deliberate for the Mac Mini, with rumours suggesting the 2022 mannequin may supply much more energy and, apparently, a redesigned chassis for the primary time in years.

Right here’s all it is advisable to know in regards to the new Mac Mini, from launch date and pricing hypothesis to the newest leaks and rumours.

When will the brand new Mac Mini be launched?

The most well-liked rumours recommended Apple was going to disclose the brand new Mac Mini at WWDC 2021, however that did not occur.

It was then anticipated that the brand new Mac Mini can be unveiled alongside the brand new MacBook Professional vary at Apple’s October occasion, however that did not occur both. 

The newest rumbings, this time from infamous Apple leaker @Dylandkt, recommend we would not be ready for for much longer.

In a spate of late January 2022 tweets filled with predictions for Apple’s 2022 {hardware}, the leaker teased that “we will probably be receiving the Mac Mini with M1 Professional and M1 Max” at Apple’s Spring occasion.

Apple has since introduced an occasion, dubbed ‘Peek Efficiency’, on account of happen on eight March 2022, so it is potential that we’ll be seeing the brand new Mac Mini very quickly. 

How a lot will the brand new Mac Mini price?

This one’s just a little more durable to foretell. Apple may go one among two methods; it may substitute your complete Mac Mini line-up with the redesigned mannequin, or it may proceed to supply the older M1-enabled Mac Mini and introduce the brand new mannequin at a better value. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggests it will be the latter. 

Given the truth that the Mac Mini is positioned because the entry-level Mac, it’d be laborious for Apple to justify an excessive amount of of a value hike.

If the brand new Mac Mini doesn’t substitute your complete vary and match the worth of its predecessors – one thing Apple goals for with most new releases – it may substitute the top-end £1,099/$1,099 Intel-based mannequin, finishing Apple’s transition from Intel to Apple Silicon on the Mac Mini vary.

What ought to I count on from the brand new Mac Mini?

Rumours at the moment recommend the brand new Mac Mini may supply key upgrades and an all-new design when it will definitely makes an look.

Redesigned type issue

Apple defined to Macworld UK that the Mac Mini design hasn’t modified for just a few years not as a result of it isn’t potential, however as a result of there are a selection of server farms and organisations that use Mac Minis primarily based on the prevailing type issue.

Nevertheless, that appears to vary with the discharge of the brand new Mac Mini, with rumours suggesting an all-new type issue that’s considerably thinner than its predecessor, and it may sport new “plexiglass-like” high too.

That is from well-known tipster Jon Prosser, who labored with idea artist Ian Zelbo to create renders primarily based on the data offered to the leaker. He detailed the redesign in a latest episode of Entrance Web page Tech, suggesting the brand new mannequin will are available in each silver and white – however not the colorful choices of the 24in iMac.

It’s actually not affirmation given Prosser’s hit-and-miss observe file with regards to Apple leaks – AppleTrack provides him an accuracy ranking of 78.1% – however he isn’t the one supply suggesting a redesign is on the best way.

Ian Zelbo additionally partnered up with YouTuber Luke Miani to disclose what the pair calls the “Mac Studio” alongside a brand new Studio Show in renders shared only a day earlier than Apple’s March 2022 occasion, sporting a really completely different look to his earlier work with Prosser.

This time round, Apple has gone huge – actually. The renders depict a Mac Mini a lot taller than the prevailing mannequin, with the identical plexiglass high as beforehand rumoured, and a Mac Professional-esque vent at its base. The title additionally suggests it will be a wholly new product, quite than an addition to the Mac Mini line. 

That is the all new Mac Studio and Studio Show which will probably be unveiled tomorrow on the #AppleEvent in keeping with @LukeMiani

See extra in regards to the Studio lineup and see many extra photographs at https://t.co/CLrOLw1epb pic.twitter.com/hD9WodZn8E

— ian (@ianzelbo)
March 7, 2022

It is price noting that Miani has a hit-and-miss observe file, so it’s miles from confirmed at this stage. 

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman additionally suggests {that a} redesign is on the best way, with a plexiglass high, however that it will be restricted to the top-end Mac Mini solely. 

Upgraded internals

Per Bloomberg’s Could 2021 report, the brand new mannequin is a “extra highly effective model of the Mac Mini” that’ll supply the identical chipset as the brand new MacBook Professional vary. In a follow-up report in August 2021, the publication suggests it will seem as the brand new top-end choice for its line, quite than being a function of your complete Mac Mini vary. 

If that is true, we now know these to be the M1 Professional and M1 Max chips, which function within the 2021 MacBook Professional vary.

The previous provides 10-core CPU with eight efficiency cores and two effectivity cores, in addition to a 16-core GPU with 2,048 execution models. This chip can assist as much as 32GB RAM, an enchancment from the utmost 16GB out there on the M1 mannequin. 

The much more highly effective M1 Max provides the identical CPU setup, however options double the RAM assist (64GB) and a 32-core GPU with 4,096 execution models and 4 instances the GPU efficiency seen on the unique M1. 

Leaker @Dylandkt additionally suggests a Mac Mini with each M1 Professional and M1 Max chipsets are on the best way, lending extra credence to the hearsay. 

Extra ports

One of many primary drawbacks of the M1-based Mac Mini in comparison with its Intel predecessor was the dearth of ports; whereas Apple’s Intel-based Mac Mini supplied 4 Thunderbolt three ports, the newer mannequin sports activities two.

Jon Prosser means that the brand new Mac Mini port choice will mirror that of the Intel-based Mac Mini, with an elevated 4 Thunderbolt three ports, a 10Gb Ethernet port, a HDMI 2.zero port and extra.

It’s alleged that the brand new Thunderbolt three ports will probably be linked to an enhanced Neural Engine in a roundabout way, which may allow the flexibility to run extra 4K shows – the M1 Mac Mini can solely energy one, whereas the Intel-based mannequin can energy three.

It is a sentiment backed up by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, claiming that the brand new mannequin may have “extra ports than the present mannequin”, however no specifics had been offered. 

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