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Rumors of a new design for the M4 Mac mini – smaller than ever © Apple / Montage
A fresh wind is blowing through Apple’s product range: the M4 Mac mini could soon have a more compact design.
Hamburg – According to recent reports, a redesign of one of the M4 Macs is imminent, and a new rumor has identified the model it will hit – the Mac mini. That an M4 Mac mini is in development is obvious. What was still unclear until Thursday’s report is a change in shape.
The new rumor suggests that the device will be significantly smaller than the current form that has been around for more than 15 years. A report from Bloomberg on Thursday claims that the device will be nearly the size of the Apple TV set-top box.
Uncertainties about the exact direction of the new design
However, given the discussion about the size of the Apple TV, it’s not clear which direction the redesign will go, whether flatter or taller like the Apple TV. Since Apple Silicon Macs don’t have expandable RAM or storage, this is no longer a consideration for the size of the chassis, which was the case with the Intel version of the Mac mini.
The device is designed to have three USB-C ports of some kind, as well as space for the power cable and an HDMI port. Both models currently in the test phase are codenamed “J773”.
Release schedule and M4 Pro variant
As for the release schedule, Apple’s suppliers plan to ship the M4 Mac mini core to Apple later in August, with a consumer release later in 2024. An M4 Pro variant is scheduled to ship in October.
The rumor makes a lot of sense. The existing Apple Silicon Mac mini form factor is mostly empty and was designed to be thermally robust enough for the notoriously hot Intel processors formerly used in the unit. That thermal requirement no longer exists.
Less clear is the specific shape the device will take. An earlier rumor spoke of a squat, all-aluminum design. Current rumors discussed a possibility for the “M1X” Mac mini to move the power supply outside, reusing the iMac power connector.
