The next Mac mini is rumored to get the biggest redesign yet in the M4 Mac lineup.
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Last updated 3 hours ago
A new report claims that Apple's announcement week will kick off with a 24-inch M4 iMac and two versions of a refreshed Mac mini. M4-based versions of the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro will also be unveiled.
Apple has announced a week of Mac or Mac-related device launches, and now Bloomberg is reporting that the company will standardize its entire Mac lineup on the M4 family of chips in late 2024 and early 2025. This is the first time this has happened since the company started using its own Apple Silicon processors.
The reason is that Apple wants all of its newest devices to be able to run its Apple Intelligence technology. It's also the reason for the increase in RAM to 16GB, which could become the new base standard for all future models.
These improvements will provide users with numerous benefits beyond Apple Intelligence. The two upcoming Mac mini models equipped with the M4 or M4 Pro chip will be able to process ray tracing for the first time, which will significantly improve graphics performance.
The All-New M4 Mac mini
Previously, rumors had it that while the Mac mini and other Macs would see significant power and graphics upgrades with the M4 chipsets, only the Mac mini would receive a major redesign for the first time since January 2023.
Current reports and speculation suggest that the Mac mini will be significantly smaller than the current model. This could be achieved by either making the current design thinner or by adopting a “curved black box” design similar to the Apple TV hardware enclosure.
The USB-A ports would likely be eliminated entirely, making room for five USB-C ports along with inputs like Ethernet and HDMI. Recent rumors have suggested a design similar to the smaller Mac Studio, with two USB-C ports on the front of the device and the rest on the back.
Despite its smaller size, the new Mac mini will offer a much more powerful Neural Engine. While the M2 used in the current Mac mini was rated to process up to 15.8 trillion operations per second (TOPS), the M4 more than doubles that capability, hitting 38 TOPS.
Benefits for all new Mac models
The achievement would represent a significant jump in processing power across all Mac models. The M3 chips, by comparison, hit 18 TOPS.
Apple expects the significant boost in RAM and processing power to motivate customers still using recent Intel-based Macs, as well as early adopters of the M1 and M2, to upgrade to the M4-class machines.
The 24-inch iMac will continue to run on the base M4 chip, while the MacBook Pro line will be available with the option of higher-end M4 chips. The MacBook Air with M4 is expected to arrive in early 2025, while the Mac Studio will get an update sometime in spring 2025.
As for the Mac Pro, Apple will likely make an announcement about the next version at its WWDC conference in June, but it is unlikely to ship before fall 2025.
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