New M4 Mac Mini Will Be Apple's Smallest Desktop Ever [Report]

Apple is planning a new version of the Mac mini featuring an M4 chip and a major design overhaul, making it the company's smallest desktop ever, according to a new report from Bloomberg.

The new model — due later this year — will mark the first major design change to the mini since it was revamped under Steve Jobs in 2010, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The device will be far smaller than its predecessor, approaching the size of an Apple TV set-top box, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the work is secret.

The M4 Mac mini is just one of several new Macs that are in the pipeline. The company has yet to bring the M4 chip to any of its other Mac models. The MacBook Pro and iMac are likely to get M4 updates this year while the MacBook Air could get updated in spring, followed by the Mac Studio and Mac Pro in mid-2025. Once all these updates are released, it will mark the first time that Apple offers the same generation chip in all its Macs.


According to sources, the new Mac mini may be taller than the current version which is about 1.4-inches high. It will still have an aluminum shell, but could be closer in width to the Apple TV at 3.7-inches. Prototypes have had at least three USB-C ports, in addition to power and HDMI.

There are two versions of the Mac mini in development, both codenamed J773. One has the standard M4 chip and the other has an unannounced M4 Pro chip with support for additional memory and graphics. Suppliers are preparing to ship the standard version this month for release later this year; however, the M4 Pro version won't be ready until October.

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