The next Mac mini: Smaller, speedier, and additional colossal
When the Mac mini launched in 2005 as the predominant BYODKM Mac (bring your get train, keyboard, and mouse) it had the aptitude to be one of the in style Macs ever made. Practically twenty years later, it hasn’t in fact lived up to its hype, as specs, prices, and efficiency by no system moderately reached the heights we anticipated. But with rumors mounting that Apple is making ready a refresh to the high-give up Mac mini that can well maybe blow our minds and in a roundabout method lift the puny Mac of our desires.
2021 Mac mini: Set up
The Mac mini has had a identical square assemble ever because it burst onto the scene, and that isn’t inclined to alter this year. Nevertheless, it has gotten thinner. When it launched with a CD drive, it become once two inches high, and now it’s honest 1.4 inches (without an optical drive). In maintaining with reports, it might maybe perchance well maybe uncover even thinner. Jon Prosser claims that the next Mac mini will shrink even additional, which might perchance well maybe build it at lower than an creep large, consistent with renders.
The Mac mini will reportedly bask in four Thunderbolt ports.
The physique is inclined to be getting a change too. Whereas the Mac mini has had its aluminum chassis since 2010, Apple is reportedly pondering a “plexiglass” top, in accordance with Prosser. That can well maybe mean Apple will bring somewhat pizzazz to the Mac mini, which is puny to silver and space grey. Sooner or later, the round rubber pad on the underside will reportedly be changed with two horizontal strips love we survey on the underside of the 24-creep iMac stand.
2021 Mac mini: Apple silicon
The Mac mini become once amongst the predominant Macs to uncover the M1 processor, so it is good that the 2021 model can be the predominant to uncover the observe-up. Prosser reports that the brand new chip can be an “X” variant of the M1, which “will very a lot outpace the efficiency and capabilities of the latest M1 chips,” in accordance with a story by Tag Gurman in Bloomberg.
Specifically, the brand new chip might well maybe feature “eight high-efficiency cores and two vitality-efficient cores for a complete of 10.” The most contemporary M1 chip within the Mac mini strategies four high-efficiency cores and four vitality-efficient cores. With such vitality, this new machine will seemingly replace the 3.0GHz 6-core Eighth-generation Intel Core i5 model.
2021 Mac mini: Graphics
The Mac mini’s GPU is practically sure to be built-in into the system on a chip, however this might maybe well maybe reportedly be critical extra well-known than the latest Mac mini’s 8-core GPU. Gurman reports that the brand new chip will come “in both 16 or 32 graphics core variations.”
The M1 Mac mini is quick, however the next model is inclined to be system faster.
Roman Loyola/IDG
2021 Mac mini: RAM and specs
The M1 within the Mac mini has honest two RAM configurations—8GB and 16GB—while the Intel version maxes out at 64GB. Gurman says the brand new chips will furthermore consist of up to 64GB of reminiscence. Storage is inclined to be the identical, initiating at 256GB and topping out at 2TB.
Up to now as ports, the brand new Mac mini might well maybe uncover two additional Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports for a complete of four, alongside with the varied ports on the latest model: two USB-A ports, ethernet, and HDMI. Nevertheless, Prosser says the brand new mini won’t bring back the SDXC card slot that is rumored for the MacBook Expert.
2021 Mac mini: Impress and initiate
Apple in fact reduced the associated rate of the M1 Mac mini from $799 to $699, so it’s that you can be ready to think that the upper-give up Mac mini gets a be aware gash too. Apple currently sells it for $1,099, so it might maybe perchance well maybe drop to $999.
The brand new Mac mini is all however sure to come sometime in 2021, however the timing is unclear. The replace is going by strategy of chip shortages, so that can well maybe affect manufacturing of the brand new chip. We within the initiating anticipated that the M1X/M2 Macs would presumably come within the fourth quarter of the year, round the identical time the well-liked M1 mini launched, however latest rumors bask in urged they might maybe well land over the summer, presumably as early as WWDC.
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Michael Simon has been covering Apple since the iPod become once the iWalk. His obsession with know-how goes back to his first PC—the IBM Thinkpad with the purchase-up keyboard for swapping out the drive. He is composed looking ahead to that to return back in style tbh.