1 min readApple has given the Mac mini its first redesign in over a decade, shrinking its pint-sized PC even further. The company says the computer is small enough to fit in your hand, measuring in at five inches by fives inches, with a height of two inches. For comparisons, the old Mac mini was seven inches by seven inches, with a height of 1.4 inches.
The redesign marks the first time the Mac mini has a port other than a headphone jack on the front, Taking a cue from the Mac Studio, the new Mac mini has two USB-C ports on the front. There are three faster Thunderbolt USB-C ports on the back, a HDMI port, and an Ethernet jack. It no longer has any full-sized USB A ports, however.
Inside the new Mac mini is Apple's built-for-AI M4 chipset, which debuted in the iPad Pro earlier this year. The entry-level configuration starts with 256GB of storage and 16GB of RAM, priced at $999. Previous generations started with 8GB and upgrading to 16GB cost extra. An M4 Pro variant is also available, starting at $2,199 with 512GB of storage and 24GB of RAM.
Pre-orders for the Mac mini are now open, ahead of a November 7 release date. As with previous models, you just get the computer in the box. You'll need to bring your own mouse, keyboard, and monitor.
The new Mac mini is the latest in what Apple has dubbed a week of Mac announcements. It follows a refreshed iMac featuring an M4 chipset and 16GB of base storage, and new desktop accessories that swap out Lightning for USB-C. Apple's keyboard, mouse, and trackpad were among its last products to still use Lightning.
New MacBook Pro models also featuring M4 chipsets are expected to be announced sometime this week.
