Apple’s next Mac Mini could be as small as an Apple TV

By Chris Welch, a reviewer specializing in personal audio and home theater. Since 2011, he has published nearly 6,000 articles, from breaking news and reviews to useful how-tos.
Apple’s smallest Mac is in for some major changes, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. A new version of the Mac Mini coming later this year will undergo the product’s most significant redesign in over a decade. Gurman says “the device will be far smaller than its predecessor, approaching the size of an Apple TV set-top box.” That’s tiny, even if the Mini will likely be taller than Apple’s streamer.
The company has been testing one design with “at least” three USB-C ports and an HDMI output, and the device will maintain its aluminum casing. A Mac Mini that could inconspicuously sit on a TV stand? This thing sounds like a Plex lover’s dream.
The 2024 Mini will also reportedly get a processor upgrade to Apple’s M4 chip, which is expected to gradually make its way to the company’s entire desktop and laptop portfolio. The M4 debuted in the latest iPad Pro, but it’ll soon expand to the Mini, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, and Mac Studio.
Apple last refreshed the Mac Mini in 2023 and has since offered two variants of the machine: one has the standard M2 chip inside, while the other features the more powerful M2 Pro. Gurman says the company will continue this approach with the next revision, which will come in M4 and M4 Pro configurations. The Bloomberg report says suppliers are preparing to ship the M4 hardware this month, though the M4 Pro Mini won’t be ready until October.
Beyond some changes to its inputs / outputs and internal design, the Mini’s overall form factor hasn’t seen any drastic makeovers in a long time. Here’s our 2023 Mac Mini review, and here’s one David Pierce wrote in 2012. Despite a decade between models, it pretty much looks the same. Bring on the even smaller Mini.
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