More portability and power can only be a good thing.
We're big fans of the M2 Mac mini here at Creative Bloq. While Apple's 'bring your own monitor' desktop might be a hard sell for some, the price point is compelling, and the portability makes it a great option for creatives on the go. And if new rumours are to be believed, Apple is about to lean further into that vision.
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is working on a redesigned Mac mini that could become the company's smallest computer ever. Indeed, according to Gurman it could end up resembling the tiny Apple TV. (For the lowdown on the current model, take a look at our M2 Mac mini review.)
The new Mac mini could be as small as the Apple TV (Image credit: Nicolas Leclercq via Unsplash)
Expected to arrive later this year packing the powerful M4 chip (currently found only in the iPad Pro), the new Mac mini will, according to Gurman, “be far smaller than its predecessor, approaching the size of an Apple TV set-top box.” The redesign will mark the most notable change to the Mac mini since the Steve Jobs era, and come as part of "a broader overhaul of the Mac line with AI-focused chips."
While we've slept on the Mac mini for years, it all started to make sense with the arrival of the M2 model. "This PC is small, petite even, and a nice antidote to all those bulking tower PCs in my past," wrote our Ecom editor last year. "That portability could also come in handy for a freelancer wanting a computer to take out to pitch at places they know there will be a screen to plug into, or a student who might be moving around a bit in the coming years."
And it sounds like increased portability won't come at the cost of performance or versatility. The M4 chip is already incredibly powerful, and Gurman claims Apple has worked on designs with “at least” three USB-C ports and an HDMI output.
We're big fans of the current Mac mini (Image credit: Future)
Time will tell if A new Mac mini will indeed drop in 2024, but it certainly sounds like it could become the ultimate desktop computer for the likes of students, or creative on the go. More portability and power can only be a good thing, and if the price matches the current price of $599 (or $499 if you're a student), we'll be first in line.
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Daniel John is Design Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of design, branding and lifestyle tech, and has covered several industry events including Milan Design Week, OFFF Barcelona and Adobe Max in Los Angeles.
