It's been over a decade since the Mac mini last saw a design overhaul, but that could soon change. With its next M4-powered Mac mini, Apple plans to ditch the USB-A ports while also adding ports on the front for the first time, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Last month, Gurman reported the next Mac mini is shaping up to be the smallest and most powerful to date, and it's set to hit store shelves by the end of 2024. But exactly how Apple was shaving down the already tiny portable desktop remained unclear.
In this week's Power On newsletter, he explained Apple's planning to save space by cutting the two USB-A ports found on the current Mac mini. This comes as little surprise given that Apple's killed USB-A ports on most of its other computers, but it is a bit annoying given how many desktop accessories rely on it. Both of my favorite wireless mice use a USB-A dongle, for instance, so it looks like I'll be fishing out some USB-C adapters from my catch-all tech drawer.
But don't worry, you won't be at a loss for ports — that is, so long as you splurge on the higher-end version powered by the M4 Pro. Apple plans on cramming a whopping five USB-C ports into the M4 Pro Mac mini: three on the back and, for the first time, two on the front in a similar vein as the Mac Studio, Gurman said.
He added that this model will also retain ports for ethernet, HDMI, and 3.5mm audio, and the power supply will continue to be internal, which is something a lot of folks were concerned about. It remains to be seen whether the base model Mac mini will also have 5 USB-C ports, as Apple has historically given this version fewer ports than its high-end counterpart.
M4 Mac mini outlook
Gurman says suppliers in China are scheduled to begin shipping the new Mac mini models with the M4 chip in early September, while the M4 Pro version will not begin shipping until October. Given Apple's plans to launch the M4 MacBook Pro and iMac in the coming months as well, that means this could be the first year we see Apple use the same chip generation across all of its Macs.
Still, it's hard to know how much of the Mac mini's rumored redesign will make a difference. The Mac mini already tops our list of the best mini PCs on the market precisely because it's so small, powerful and capable for a price that doesn't break the bank. If the new chip and smaller form factor result in a higher price tag, it might not be worth the upgrade.
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