We’re one announcement into Apple’s exciting week of Mac reveals, and we’ve already encountered a problem. Not with the new machines themselves (although we have notes) but with someone else spoiling an upcoming surprise.
No less than Amazon seems to have (probably by accident) announced the new M4 version of the Mac mini before Apple. As MacRumors noticed, Amazon’s US product listing for the iMac M4 initially included a comparison chart to help customers evaluate this product’s specs and features against various alternatives…and those alternatives include the new Mac mini.
The imminent launch of the new Mac mini is hardly a secret, although Apple will be miffed to have the spotlight stolen by a conspicuous partner. (The table has since been removed, reinforcing the impression that it was all a mistake.) But the comparative table, by its nature, contained much more information than the simple fact of the existence of the machine. Take a look:
The chart reveals, for example, that the mini will be available with the M4 or M4 Pro chip, and that it will be able to have a CPU of up to 14 cores and a GPU of up to 20. It also indicates that the RAM limit has been doubled, with the Mac mini soon to be available with up to 64GB, while the maximum storage capacity remains the same at 8TB.
A small image suggests there will be two front-facing USB-C ports, and maybe even a headphone jack on the right side (it’s hard to figure out what that is). And, perhaps most disappointingly, the chart indicated that the machine was sold in only one color: silver. No sign of the hoped-for Space Black edition of the Mac mini.
This is all very frustrating for Apple, which is expected to announce the new mini today or tomorrow. For the latest news and rumors, check out our regularly updated M4 Mac mini superguide.
