The M4 era of the Mac begins this week: here’s what will happen when

Mac mini M4

Foundry

Release date: The biggest announcement of the week will be the Mac mini, replacing the M2 model, arriving in January 2023. Before that, the Mac mini M1 was released in November 2020. Given the rumors, the Mac mini will probably be the last announcement of ‘Apple this week.

Design: The Mac mini will undergo a radical change, according to Gurman. It will get even smaller, with a footprint the size of the Apple TV. This would make the Mac mini an additional competitor to the Raspberry Pi, a small PC often used in special configurations.

Chip: Apple currently offers the Mac mini with a base or Pro M-series chip, and this will continue with the new design. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the Mac mini with a base M4 chip will ship “immediately,” while the M4 Pro model won’t be available until late October.

Features: The smaller design could mean the Mac mini doesn’t offer some of the ports offered by the current Mac mini. Gurman reported that Apple tested three models with at least three USB-C ports, a power connector, and an HDMI port. And even though Gurman didn’t say it, the USB-C ports are probably Thunderbolt ports too.

The current M2 Mac mini has a Gigabit Ethernet port, USB-A ports, and a 3.5mm audio jack. The latest rumors do not say if the alignment will change. While the Ethernet and audio jacks are likely to remain, it’s possible that Apple will ditch the USB-A ports. Support for Wi-Fi 7 is also possible since the Wi-Fi Alliance formalized the standard in early January.

Discover the latest news regarding the M4 Mac mini.

Coming in 2025