The M4 Mac mini will be like no other Mac you’ve ever seen

2024 may end up being a big year for Apple’s smallest Mac. While other Macs are rumored to get iterative spec bumps, the Mac mini will reportedly undergo drastic changes–changes that may shift the perception of the device. When all is said and done, the Mac mini may end up being Apple’s most intriguing computer. Here’s what you need to know about the upcoming Mac mini and why you’ll be in the market for it, whether you know it or not.

If you have an old Mac mini and upgrade to the M4, put that old machine to good use–here are ideas on what to do with that old Mac mini.

New smaller design

The design that Apple introduced in 2010 is going away. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is going to make the Mac mini smaller–about the size of the current Apple TV, which measures 3.7 by 3.7 by 1.2 inches (93 by 93 by 31 millimeters), dramatically smaller than the current mini’s 7.75 by 7.75 by 1.41 inch (19.7 by 19.7 x 3.58 cm) frame.

(Pause for trivia: When the 2010 Mac mini arrived, it was actually the same size as the 2007 Apple TV, which at the time was much bigger. Later in 2010, Apple released a smaller Apple TV design, that is similar to the current Apple TV 4K box.)

A smaller Mac mini has been rumored for years. Teardowns of the M1 and M2 Mac mini show that the switch to M-series chips allows for smaller motherboards and other components, leaving a lot of space inside those Macs. Looks like Apple finally is getting rid of that space to make a smaller footprint.

The new design means it takes up less space, which is great if you have a small desk or just want to reduce the amount of clutter in your workspace. It also means it will use fewer materials for production and packaging, so it’s friendlier to the environment. That should please Mother Nature.

Greater portability

A smaller Mac mini opens new mobile possibilities. While most people think of MacBooks when it comes to portability, the Mac mini is sometimes used in mobile situations. People get creative with the Mac mini and use it in car installations, kiosks, DJ setups, and more. It’s much cheaper than a MacBook too, so an ultra-portable mini can be a great option for students and remote workers who need to change locations regularly.

Colorful colors

Apple currently offers the Mac mini in silver and only silver. If you’re hoping for a revival of the space gray Mac mini, it’s probably not happening–a space black Mac mini would be so cool but probably isn’t happening, either. Why? Since the Apple TV is black, Apple will probably keep the Mac mini in silver to differentiate the two.

But here’s some wishful thinking: It’d be cool if Apple decided to treat the Mac mini like the iMac and offer it in the iMac colors. Apple could offer the M4 Mac mini in blue, pink, green, and silver, with the M2 Pro available in the same colors plus orange, purple, and yellow. However, no reports have been made about the Mac mini colors and it seems most probable that silver is the way Apple will go.

The current Mac mini has an aluminum case and the Apple TV has a plastic one. Since aluminum is better at dissipating heat, Apple will likely use it for the new Mac mini.

M4 chip

The new Mac mini is going to be the centerpiece of the M4 Mac rollout. The current Mac mini has either the base M2 chip or the M2 Pro. Apple is sticking with this configuration offering, but according to Gurman, the timing might be different, with the M4 available immediately and the M4 Pro coming a few weeks later.

The M4 made its debut in the iPad Pro and that gives us a good idea of how fast an M4 Mac mini could be. The iPad Pro’s M4 is 45 percent faster than the Mac mini’s M2–the Mac mini’s M4 could be a tad bit faster, thanks to the Mac mini’s form factor that allows it to better dissipate heat. And if the Mac mini has a cooling fan–the iPad Pro doesn’t have one–maybe the Mac mini’s speed will be a few more percentage points faster.

Then there’s also the M4 Pro coming to the Mac mini for even more performance. Expect to see a 45 percent increase in performance over the M2 Pro. An M4 Pro model will be ideal for users who do a lot of processor-intensive tasks.

If you are still using an Intel-based Mac mini, the performance gains with the M4 are huge. The fastest Intel Mac mini is a 2018 model with a 3.2GHz 6-core Core i7 processor–the M4 iPad Pro is 162 percent faster. That makes the M4 Mac mini a difficult upgrade to pass up.

Apple Intelligence

AI is all the rage and Apple Intelligence is how the company is marketing its AI features. An M-series chip is required to run Apple Intelligence, so an M4 and its predecessors are compatible.

If you already have an M1 or M2 Mac mini, you can run Apple Intelligence, so this reason alone isn’t a compelling one for upgrading. But it is if you have an Intel Mac mini if the performance boost and new design aren’t enough.

Apple Intelligence includes writing tools to check your grammar and make revisions that improve upon your original drafts; Priority Notifications; summaries for Mail and Safari; and more. There’s also a set of generative AI tools for images and photos. Apple will be releasing these features over the months after macOS Sequoia is officially released, and that’s just to start. Apple Intelligence is now a core part of macOS and Apple will constantly develop new Apple Intelligence features.

ports

Logic dictates that if Apple is making the Mac mini smaller, then it may not have the same ports as the current Mac mini. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple has tested new Mac minis with three USB-C ports, HDMI, and a power port. He has not said which, if any, ports will be left off the device.

The two USB-A ports on the current Mac mini are likely to be not on the new Mac mini, so older devices will need an adapter. It seems like there may not be room for gigabit ethernet, either. That could be an issue for folks who like to use the Mac mini as a server or prefer the speed of a wired network.

Gurman didn’t specifically say whether the USB-C ports are Thunderbolt (they have the same connector), but since the current Mac mini has up to four Thunderbolt ports, it’s likely the new Mac mini will as well. It’s also possible Apple adds an SD card reader like the MacBook Pro or a front-facing USB-C port like the Mac Studio.

We’ve been waiting for years for Apple to offer a first-party hub for the Mac mini to add extra USB ports as well as Ethernet, HDMI, card slots, and more. We haven’t heard any rumors about such an accessory but you can check out some excellent third-party options in our guide to the best USB-C hubs and adapters for Macs.

An affordable mini powerhouse

The Mac mini is Apple’s most affordable Mac. Granted, it doesn’t include a display, keyboard, or mouse but it’s not difficult to find good versions and still stay well under the price of a low-end iMac. We even have a list of the best displays to help you find one.

That being said, it’s possible Apple could raise the price of the Mac mini. Maybe the iPad Pro gives us a peek at what Apple might do with the Mac mini pricing. The 11-inch M4 iPad Pro with a 256GB SSD is $999–that’s $100 more than the 11-inch M2 iPad Pro with 256GB that it replaced. However, Apple upgraded the display in the M4 iPad Pro from LED to OLED, so that should be considered in the price increase. It also got a slight redesign with a thinner frame, smaller bezels, and a front camera situated on the landscape edge.

The Mac mini’s price history may also give us an idea of what Apple may do. The original Mac mini was released in 2005 starting at $499. In 2006, that base price was raised to $599. Since then, its average price has been higher than that, with the M1 model starting at $699 and the M2 falling back to $599.

Currently, the M2 Mac mini starts at $599 and the M2 Pro model starts at $1,299. With prices going up for everything nowadays, I think we’ll see the Mac mini price go up, perhaps to $699/$1,399. Even so, it’s still a pretty good deal for one of the most unique Macs Apple has ever made.