 |
| Image: Apple |
Apple has announced a new Mac Mini, which introduces a new design for the desktop computer featuring two front-facing 10Gbps USB-C ports and a headphone jack. Also new is the M4 Pro, a more powerful version of Apple’s latest chip, though you can also get the Mac Mini with a regular M4 as well.
Recent Videos
Apple says the new case for the Mac Mini is just 12.7cm wide, 12.7cm deep, and 5 cm tall (5″ x 5″ x 2″). The previous M2 model was 19.70 cm x 19.70 cm x 3.58 cm (7.75″ x 7.75″ x 1.41″).
Another big change from the previous model is the lack of USB-A ports. On the back are three Thunderbolt ports – which generation depends on your choice of chip – an HDMI port, and Ethernet port, which is Gigabit by default but can be optioned to support 10Gbps. The computer also supports Wi-Fi 6E – not Wi-Fi 7 – and Bluetooth 5.3.
 |
| Image: Apple |
Back to the ports on the rear: The ones on the regular M4 Mac Mini are the standard 40Gbps Thunderbolt 4 ports that have been on Apple’s computers for a while now. However, if you get the M4 Pro model, you’ll also get the first Mac with Thunderbolt 5, which can support data transfers at up to 120Gbps.
The M4 Pro, which is only available on the highest-end Mac Mini, starts with 8 ‘performance’ CPU cores, 4 ‘efficiency’ CPU cores and a 16-core GPU; there’s also a model with two more performance cores and four more GPU cores. It also has over double the memory bandwidth of the regular M4, and can be configured with up to 64GB of RAM, versus the 32GB that the regular M4 appears to top out at.
The Mac Mini starts at $599, with the entry-level model sporting a 10-core CPU and GPU M4, 16GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. The M4 Pro model is much pricier at $1,399, though it starts with 24GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. If you’re budgeting for the computer, though, do keep in mind that it doesn’t include a keyboard, mouse, or monitor.
The computer is the second Mac Apple’s announced this week, after the iMac. On Monday, the company promised it would be making three announcements.
This story is developing and will be updated.
Our DPREVIEW Tribute:
After nearly 25 years of operation, DPReview closed on 10 April 2023. This difficult decision was part of the annual operating plan review that parent company, Amazon, shared earlier this year.
Over the course of 25 years, DP Review built up a reputation as being one of the most informative places to go for information about that new camera or lens you’re after. DP Review began as an independent reviews site based in the UK in 1998, the brainchild of Philip and Joanna Askey, but it was eventually purchased by Amazon in 2007 and relocated over to Seattle in the USA in 2010.
Cheers DPReview – thanks for the great work and content that guided photographers, videographers and techno junkies the world over!