A revamped Apple Mac Mini for 2022 is hotly anticipated, so such as you, TechRadar’s editors had been stunned it did not seem at Apple’s Peek Performance occasion on March 8.
We did see one thing else for followers of the Apple desktop line: the Mac Studio, that includes the brand new M1 Ultra SoC (system-on-a-chip), designed with inventive professionals in thoughts. However one thing is clearly brewing: Convincing new rumors say Apple is testing nine new Mac models forward of WWDC with brand-spanking new M2 silicon chips — and that features a new Mac Mini.
It has been nearly two years since Apple launched the Mac Mini (M1), powered by the Apple M1 chip alongside the Apple MacBook Air (2020) and 13-inch Apple MacBook Pro (2020). So a brand new mannequin – probably powered by the identical M2 chip that might additionally seem within the rumored MacBook Air (2022) – is unquestionably due.
The mini-PC impressed us once we reviewed it in 2020, and the M1 chip powering it confirmed itself to be a reasonably competent performer total. Nonetheless, a house PC is a fairly large piece of package. Can a revamped 2022 Mac Mini win over converts past the system’s fanbase? This is every little thing we all know thus far.
Apple Mac Mini (2022): minimize to the chase
- What’s it? Apple’s next-generation mini-PC
- When is it out? Anticipated late 2022 or 2023
- What’s going to it price? Unknown, however seemingly just like present pricing (beginning at $699 / £699 / AU$1,099)
Newest Information
April 15: Apple is testing a whole bunch of new Macs which might be powered by its next-gen M2 chip — together with a brand new Mac Mini.
April 14: A firmware replace for Apple’s new Studio Show references a product marked as Macmini10,1, which apparently is a mannequin ID not used for any of the present Mac product traces.
March 13: Bo-ring! Effectively-respected and (normally very well-informed) Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says the upcoming Mac Mini will keep the existing form factor – and can present up in 2023. 🙁
March 09: At its Spring “Peek Performance” event, Apple unveiled a new M1 Ultra chipset, the iPad Air 2022, the iPhone SE 2022, the flamboyant Mac Studio, and extra! However no Mac Mini, sadly.
Extra of the newest Mac Mini tidbits ▼
Feb. 21: Seven new Mac fashions can be launched in 2022, says Mark Gurman, all that includes some model of the Apple silicon processors. Including a new Mac Mini.
March 04: With an Apple occasion proper across the nook, there’s lots of consideration being paid to rumors of recent MacBooks, iPads, and iPhones. However a brand new M2-powered Mac Mini might be the star in the show, writes TechRadar’s John Loeffler.
Aug. 23, 2021: Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman means that the M1X Mac mini may launch “in the next few months.” May that imply Apple could have a large announcement occasion deliberate for September?
Launch date and worth
The Apple Mac Mini (2022) hasn’t even been introduced but, so there isn’t any official launch date that we are able to verify. The final Mac Mini (M1) was launched in late 2020, so going off Apple’s typical 18 to 24 product launch cadence, we anticipated it to be introduced on the March 2022 occasion, however sadly this wasn’t the case. It is nonetheless seemingly we may see it introduced earlier than the tip of the 12 months although if Apple does have plans to launch an M2 SoC.
The 2020 fashions of each merchandise had been introduced on the identical time, and each characteristic the M1 chip. There are additionally lots of rumors that the 13-inch MacBook Professional will not see a serious redesign, which is perhaps reserved for a brand new MacBook Air reveal later this 12 months.
If that’s true, then it could make sense for the Mac Mini with M2 to be introduced alongside the 13-inch MacBook Professional since there’s a lot much less pleasure round a Mac Mini redesign than there may be for a MacBook.
In spite of everything, asserting two new M2-powered units that do not characteristic main redesigns is healthier than asserting simply the one, and if the Mini had been to solely get inner enhancements, swapping out the M1 for the M2 would make mass manufacturing considerably less complicated.
More recent rumors from well-placed sources recommend that Apple may need determined to push again the Mac Mini 2022 to 2023 – and if that seems to be the case, we will should cease referring to it because the Mac Mini 2022.
Design
One of many main benefits to the Mac Mini is its dimension, which is ideal for individuals who want a house PC however don’t desire a big PC case or an all-in-one laptop like the newest iMac. However will that change?
There was lots of discuss concerning the potential redesign of Apple’s MacBook Air (2022) in addition to the dearth of redesign for the 13-inch MacBook Professional. Which facet of issues can we count on the Mac Mini to come back down on?
It is a arduous query to reply, sadly: since there may be much less curiosity in seeing a Mac Mini redesign, there’s much less incentive for Apple to revamp the Mac Mini. Nonetheless, one of many the explanation why the dearth of a redesign for the 13-inch MacBook Professional makes lots of sense is that the 13-inch MacBook Professional is perhaps discontinued after this 12 months in favor of the 14-inch MacBook Pro (2021).
If you are going to proceed to launch a product, and we do not count on the Mac Mini to be discontinued any time quickly, then it is nearly sure that it should get a redesign (albeit, nothing main) to slot in with different Mac merchandise that do, particularly the iMac, and presumably the MacBook Air and MacBook Professional 14-inch and MacBook Pro 16-inch.
The rumor mill has gone each methods on this, however earlier leaks hinting {that a} change in type issue was on the playing cards have since been shot down by different sources. We’ll have to attend and see what the Mac Mini 2022 appears like.
Specs and efficiency
There’s not a lot we are able to say particularly concerning the Mac Mini’s specs with out realizing the Apple chip that runs it, however we do count on that it’s going to have the identical 8GB/16GB Unified Reminiscence configuration choices, with wherever from a 256GB SSD as much as a 2TB SSD.
We additionally count on the quantity and sorts of ports to remain kind of the identical, however we’re hoping for an improve to USB-C Thunderbolt 4 from the present Thunderbolt 3. Identical goes for upgrades in the way in which of HDMI 2.1 and a DisplayPort 1.4 output, however with Thunderbolt 4, these ports may not be needed anyway, so they could get the axe with a brand new Mac Mini.
Which may shift round our record of best monitors for the Mac Mini, however one thing tells us this is not a lot of a priority for Apple.
As for the chips powering the brand new system, that is the place issues can get attention-grabbing.
There may be some buzz that we cannot simply see an M2-powered Mac Mini, however we’d additionally see an M1 Professional and even an out of doors probability of an M1 Max-powered Mac Mini.
These latter two is perhaps extra for professionals relatively than residence PCs, however the chance may give the Mac Mini a lot broader attraction, particularly since it would enable shoppers of all stripes to entry the efficiency of an M1 Pro and M1 Max at a extra accessible worth level than you’d get with a MacBook Professional.
