A new Mac mini may be coming this month and there have been a few rumors floating around that align with what is already known about Apple's products. A rundown of what to expect might be useful when looking for an upgrade to a new Mac. For anyone that is considering crossing over from the PC side, a Mac mini is typically the lowest cost way to get an Apple computer.
As the name implies, the Mac mini is Apple's smallest desktop computer, with a footprint of just 7.7 by 7.7 inches and a height of only 1.4 inches. The next step up is the all-in-one iMac which includes a 24-inch display resulting in much larger dimensions of 18.1 by 21.5 by 5.8 inches. Apple's largest and most powerful computer of all is the massive Mac Pro tower which stands almost as tall as the iMac at 20.8 inches, has a width of 8.58 inches, and reaches 17.7 inches deep. 40-pound in weight and costing $5,999, it requires a solid commitment and a very sturdy desk.
Getting back to the more reasonable Mac mini, a new model is expected to arrive this year, possibly as soon as the March 8 'Peek Performance' event. Way back in May of 2021, a new Mac mini design leaked in the form of schematics suggesting that a new model was coming that year. Even though one never arrived, the information still seems valid and the idea that Apple will release an even smaller Mac mini is the consensus. Without a doubt, the new Mac mini will have a faster processor, possibly an Apple M2, as Bloomberg reported. There is also a possibility that Apple will offer a choice of M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, the much faster variants of the M1 in the current Mac mini. Either way, it's likely that there will be an option for at least 32 and possibly 64 gigabytes of memory, along with increased storage capacities and increased prices if the M1 Pro and Max chips are offered.
Mac mini, Max Ports
As the Mac mini is a small square device with no built-in screen, keyboard, or trackpad, ports are critical since every human interaction requires something to be connected. Of course, some companies use banks of several Mac mini computers as 'headless servers' that are accessible via the internet or a local network. For everyone else, ports are needed, and more is usually better.
The leak from last year suggests Apple will add two more USB-C / Thunderbolt ports and upgrade the power supply to a MagSafe design. That would be a total of four Thunderbolt ports, two USB-A, HDMI, Ethernet, and a headphone jack. This would be welcome news even though it still falls short of the 2014 model which also included an SDXC card slot. The 2022 Mac mini might arrive this month, but is more likely to appear at the June Worldwide Developers Conference, or at the Fall event.
Source: Bloomberg