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Apple’s Mac mini M4 is reportedly as small as the current-generation Apple TV, according to a leak.
Bloomberg sources claimed the new compact desktop might be slightly taller than the existing design, but with a much smaller footprint. It would still have room for three or more USB-C ports as well as HDMI.
As with the existing Mac mini, the revamp would come in both a base version (with the standard M4 chip) as well as a higher-performance variant (with the M4 Pro). The entry-level version is said to be shipping from suppliers this month as Apple gears up for the launch, but the M4 Pro edition might not be enroute until October.
Apple introduced the Mac mini in 2005 as both the answer to demand for an affordable “headless” Mac and a gateway for Windows PC users looking to switch without replacing their peripherals. The company launched a redesigned model in 2010 that was larger overall. It got a boost in the Apple Silicon era, and the M2 Pro version is pitched as a semi-pro system for creatives who can’t justify the cost of a Mac Studio.
If the report is accurate, the Mac mini M4 could be part of an expected wave of sleeker Apple devices that began with this spring’s iPad Pro redesign. Apple is supposedly hoping to stand out with devices that are slimmer and smaller without compromising on performance, and a new mini could be appealing to people who want an “invisible” desktop without buying an all-in-one like the iMac.
The M4 could also be the first Apple Silicon chip to find its way into every Mac model. While Apple passed on the M3 for all desktops save the iMac, the M4 is rumored to come to every system starting this fall. That could help it sustain Mac sales and prevent the dips that occurred in 2023, when the MacBook Air and other models got either modest updates or none at all.
