Apple Inc. is planning a new edition of the Mac mini, the corporate's smallest desktop computer ever, as a part of a significant overhaul of the Mac line with AI-focused chips.
The latest model, due later this 12 months, will mark the primary major design change to the Mini because it was redesigned under Steve Jobs in 2010, people aware of the matter said. The device shall be significantly smaller than its predecessor and nearly the scale of an Apple TV set-top box, in line with the people, who asked to not be identified since the work is classed.
The updated mini is considered one of several latest Macs coming in the subsequent few months. The company is preparing versions of the iMac desktop and MacBook Pro with M4-series chips, also for this 12 months. MacBook Airs are in development for spring, and models of the Mac Pro and Mac Studio are planned for the center of next 12 months.
The mass upgrade to the M4 processor is one other milestone for Apple: It is the primary time that the corporate has installed the identical generation of chips in all of its Macs. The M4 chip – which is already installed within the iPad Pro – is meant to power latest artificial intelligence features that Apple will introduce later this 12 months.
A spokesman for Apple, based in Cupertino, California, declined to comment on the corporate's plans.
Despite the general smaller design, the brand new Mac mini could also be larger than the present version. Today's model is about 1.4 inches tall. The updated edition will proceed to have an aluminum chassis.
The Apple TV box has a diameter of about 3.7 inches – currently lower than half the scale of the Mac mini.
Apple has tested models which have at the very least three USB-C ports on the back of the Mini, along with an area to plug in the ability cable and an HDMI port for connecting the device to TVs and monitors.
People involved in the event of the brand new Mac mini say it's essentially an iPad Pro in a small package – an approach that takes advantage of the lower power consumption of the corporate's own chips. The current Mac mini starts at $599. While the brand new model could also be cheaper to supply, it's unclear whether the corporate will pass the savings on to the patron.
Apple suppliers plan to start shipping units of the usual M4 later this month, which can launch later within the 12 months. Units with the higher-end M4 Pro won't be available to consumers until October. The Mac mini was last updated with M2 and M2 Pro chips in early 2023. It received the M1 chip in November 2020 as a part of the primary Mac lineup to feature Apple silicon.
Apple's move to its own computer processors boosted sales and accelerated the pace of upgrades, but demand for Macs has waned because the pandemic, when consumers rushed to equip their home offices.
The category generated sales of about $7 billion last quarter, up 2.5% from the previous 12 months.
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