Apple is said to be working on an M4-powered Mac Mini smaller than anything before it. The rumours talk about a size similar to the Apple TV box, thanks to a complete redesign.
According to Bloomberg, the upcoming Mac Mini desktop computer is expected to greatly shrink in size, coming closer to an Apple TV box. The new Mac Mini is said to feature a completely new design, the first since 2010, making it Apple’s smallest desktop machine. To get an idea, the current Mac Mini measures 19.7×19.7cm, whereas Apple TV takes a quarter of that at 9.3×9.3cm.
When you think about it, Apple doesn’t even need to shrink the components’ size since the Mac Mini is mostly filled with air. The motherboard only fills around a third of the space, with another third or so taken by the PSU. Swapping to an external power supply certainly helps, but the main contention was cooling. M4 is quite simply better, thermals included.
Some compare it to an iPad Pro in a small box, which is understandable as it will be powered by the brand’s M4 chip. However, unlike the iPad Pro, the Mac Mini should offer at least two versions: one with the regular M4 chip and another with an M4 Pro. The M4 series should gradually integrate other Apple products as it is rumoured to be the first chip generation to power all variants.
While we don’t have any pictures, this version should include three USB Type-C ports and an HDMI. Yep, this is much lower than the M2 Mac Mini, which ships with up to four Thunderbolt 4, two USB Type-A, plus HDMI and Ethernet. But again, it’s playing in a pool of a different size.
The base Mac Mini is scheduled to begin shipping this month with a release slated for later this year, with high-end models coming in October at best. So, you may want to hold on buying a new device to see if the price/performance is better on this one.