M4 Mac mini formally unveiled – probably the most inexpensive Mac and it is compact like an Apple TV field

On Tuesday, Apple formally introduced the brand new Mac mini M4 and M4 Professional. And the rumors had been true: the small desktop laptop is even tinier – concerning the dimension of the Apple TV field.

The Mac mini is probably the most inexpensive possibility for customers who desire a Mac laptop. For the reason that debut of Apple’s silicon chipset, and the next launch of the M1 Mac mini in late 2020, the Mac mini has been an extremely inexpensive possibility for these on the lookout for a highly effective laptop.

The brand new M4 Mac mini

First up, the Mac mini’s most tasty function: the worth. The much more highly effective M4 and M4 Professional Mac mini fashions are nonetheless going to supply probably the most bang in your buck. Apple is protecting the $599 beginning worth for the bottom M4 mannequin with 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU configuration.

And even higher, Apple has lastly dropped the bottom 8GB of reminiscence from the Mac mini M4 lineup and that beginning worth now will get customers 16GB of RAM, which is upgradable to 32GB. 

As for storage, the Mac mini M4 will proceed to ship with 256GB for the bottom mannequin and may be upgraded with as much as 2TB of disk area. 

The entrance of the brand new Mac mini M4.
Credit score: Apple

What does the M4 Professional mannequin provide?

The Mac mini M4 Professional mannequin, nevertheless, may be upgraded even additional. The $1,399 M4 Professional Mac mini base mannequin begins with a 12-core CPU and 16-core GPU in addition to 24GB of reminiscence and 512GB of storage. Along with the upgraded base mannequin reminiscence, the brand new Mac mini M4 Professionals may be maxed out to 64GB of RAM, which is double the quantity of the earlier Mac mini mannequin and the brand new Mac mini M4 base fashions.

Apple has match this all into its smallest laptop but because the redesigned Mac mini measures at 5 x 5 inches (versus its predecessor’s 7.75 x 7.75 dimensions).

Apple says the brand new M4 chip has 2.5 occasions sooner efficiency than the M1 Mac mini and is 20 occasions sooner than the final Intel Mac mini, which got here out in 2018.

The brand new M4 and M4 Professional Mac mini fashions change the M2 and M2 Professional Mac mini configurations, which had been launched in January 2023. Apple skipped the M3 chipset for the Mac mini.

M4 Mac mini ports

The tinier kind issue on the redesigned Mac mini M4 and M4 Professional does imply some modifications to the ports often discovered on the pc. There are not any extra USB-A ports discovered on the brand new Mac mini M4 and M4 Professional.

Nonetheless, earlier house owners of the Mac mini will probably be completely satisfied to see that Apple has lastly moved some ports, two USB-C ports and a headphone jack, to the entrance of the system.

The again of the Mac mini M4 has three Thunderbolt 4 ports in addition to HDMI and Ethernet ports. The Mac mini M4 Professional has the identical ports within the again besides the three Thunderbolt ports are upgraded to Thunderbolt 5. This mainly provides the brand new Mac mini fashions the power to hook up with as much as three shows directly.

The again of the brand new Mac mini M4.
Credit score: Apple

M4 Mac mini shade

If Mac mini followers had been hoping for some new shade choices, it seems Apple is sticking solely with the silver colorway.

Apple introduced the brand new Mac mini at some point after it kicked off its week of recent Macs bulletins. These new Macs coincide with the launch of Apple’s personal branded AI, Apple Intelligence. Whereas earlier Silicon chip-powered Macs will be capable to use Apple’s AI options, the M4 chipset was made for Apple Intelligence, so Apple is clearly hoping the 2 work in tandem to convey clients out for each. 

The new M4 iMac was unveiled by Apple to begin the week off. The bottom mannequin for the iMac, which comes with a built-in monitor, begins at $1,299, which makes the $599 Mac mini an alluring possibility for individuals who have already got a pc display at dwelling.

On Monday night, Amazon appeared to have by chance leaked particulars of the brand new Mac mini M4 and M4 Professional when it uploaded a Mac comparability chart to its new iMac M4 product web page. The picture was promptly eliminated, however not earlier than quite a lot of social media customers saved the picture and shared it across the web.

The brand new M4 and M4 Professional Mac mini fashions can be found for pre-order now and will probably be available in shops on Nov. 8.