Apple has just announced an updated Mac Mini featuring the new M4 and M4 Pro chip during a week dedicated to Mac-focused unveilings. This latest iteration of the Mac Mini starts at US$599 and is available for preorder immediately on the Apple website, with store availability slated for 8 November.
The redesigned Mac Mini is compact, measuring just five inches square, yet it packs a substantial punch with its performance capabilities. The base model includes the M4 chip and 10-core CPU and GPU, starting at US$599, while the more advanced M4 Pro version, with a 12-core CPU and 16-core GPU, begins at US$1,399. Both models come standard with 16GB of RAM, signalling a new baseline for memory in the era of Apple Intelligence.
John Ternus, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, highlighted the exceptional performance and innovative design of the new Mac Mini. “The new Mac Mini delivers gigantic performance in an unbelievably small design thanks to the power efficiency of Apple silicon and an innovative new thermal architecture,” said Ternus. “Combined with the performance of M4 and the new M4 Pro chip, enhanced connectivity on both the front and back, and the arrival of Apple Intelligence, Mac mini is more capable and versatile than ever, and there is nothing else like it.”
In terms of speed, the M4 version of the Mac Mini boasts a 10-core CPU and GPU, significantly enhancing the machine’s capabilities for multitasking and creative projects. For those needing even more power, the M4 Pro model steps up with 14 CPU cores and 20 GPU cores, and options for up to 64GB of RAM and 8TB of storage.
The M4 Pro’s GPU is up to twice as powerful as the M4, and both chips bring hardware-accelerated ray tracing to the Mac mini for the first time. The Neural Engine in the M4 Pro is over 3x faster than the M1, making on-device AI incredibly fast. To top it off, the M4 Pro supports up to 64GB of unified memory and has double the memory bandwidth of any AI PC chip, making it ideal for demanding AI workloads. With Thunderbolt 5 support, data transfer speeds reach an incredible 120 Gb/s, more than doubling the throughput of Thunderbolt 4.
Connectivity is also a major focus of the new Mac Mini, including multiple Thunderbolt ports. Conveniently located on the front are two USB-C ports and a headphone jack with high-impedance support. On the back, you’ll find three Thunderbolt 4 ports on the M4 model and three Thunderbolt 5 ports on the M4 Pro.
Every Mac mini also boasts Gigabit Ethernet (configurable to a blazing-fast 10Gb Ethernet), plus an HDMI port for direct connection to TVs and displays. When it comes to visuals, the M4 model supports up to two 6K displays and one 5K display, while the M4 Pro goes even further, powering up to three 6K displays at 60Hz for a stunning visual experience with over 60 million pixels.
Apple has also integrated its Apple Intelligence system into the Mac Mini, enhancing personal computing with powerful generative models and privacy protections. This system introduces capabilities such as systemwide writing tools and a new Siri that can handle both spoken and typed requests. Additional features are set to roll out in the coming months, including ChatGPT integration in December.
Environmentally, the Mac Mini stands out as Apple’s first carbon-neutral Mac, reflecting the company’s broader commitment to environmental responsibility. This commitment is part of Apple 2030, a goal to be carbon neutral across its entire business, manufacturing supply chain, and product life cycle by the end of the decade.
This launch is part of a busy week for Apple, which also saw the debut of the iMac with the M4 chip and the introduction of new Apple Intelligence software capabilities across multiple Apple platforms. More announcements, including potential MacBook Pro upgrades and Apple’s quarterly earnings report, are expected later in the week.
Natalie is a big fan of anything related to movies, TV shows, and anime — you name it. When she’s not reading or being a dedicated cinephile, she’s probably playing gacha and tabletop games, or daydreaming of Caleb from Love and Deepspace.
Kevin Low
