There was no Mac Mini in 2021, but that may be about to change.
It’s hard to believe that the Mac mini 2021 update won’t be arriving this year given all the excitement around the Mac mini M1’s introduction in 2020.
It was announced at the most recent Apple presentation that the already amazing M1 chip will be getting a boost in power, memory support, and graphics performance in the form of two new processors: the M1 Pro and M1 Max With the suspected M2 processor expected to emerge in Macs this year, there’s no reason why we couldn’t see an upgraded Mac mini that uses these new CPU and memory choices, or possibly the fabled M2.
A new Mac mini (or maybe even two) is still on the way, according to leaks from well-known industry insiders. These potential advancements might become a reality in the near future thanks to the never-ending stream of software updates and upgrades that Macs and other consumer devices get.
The most recent rumours and info about the upcoming Mac mini (updated February 21)
Leak and analyst Mark Gurman believes that two Mac mini versions will be released this year. The first one will use an Apple M1 Pro processor, while the second one will have the updated M2 chip later this year.
Rumors about the release date of the Mac mini in 2022
However, according to Apple insider Mark Gurman, we may expect two new Mac minis to be released by the middle of 2022.
At this point, all we have to rely on is rumours that Apple will unveil a new Mac mini at the forthcoming Apple Spring Event and another at or around the WWDC 2022 conference, according to reliable Apple tipsters Mark Gurman and Ross Young.
Rumors about Mac Mini prices in 2022
Even if there will be no new Mac mini in 2021, the Mac mini 2022 is a serious possibility, particularly with the announcement of new CPUs and their capabilities. In light of Apple’s Mac mini pricing approach to date, we can reasonably predict how much its tiny desktop will cost when it is released again.
This year’s Mac mini, which has the M1 processor, was available for a price of $699 when it was first released in 2020. That’s now down to $649, which suggests that Apple is seeking to sell inventory in anticipation of a new product release.
Because we expect any new Mac mini to be an incremental improvement over the present model, with beefier internals and a redesigned design, we expect it to be priced at the same $699 starting point as its predecessors. Apple is taking a major risk by raising the entry-level model’s price over $700, but we won’t know for sure until we see what the Mac Mini 2022 has to offer in terms of features.
With the addition of two more processors, a Pro or Max model is now conceivable. Up to 32GB of RAM is supported on the M1 Pro, and up to 64GB of RAM is supported on the M1 Max. These more capable combinations might be given for a substantially higher price point for a select group of video artists who prefer the Mac mini design over either the MacBook Pro laptop or Mac Pro desktop
Apple’s rumoured design and specifications for the Mac Mini in 2022
We may anticipate a rebuilt internals with additional ports and perhaps an M1 Pro, M1 Max, or M2 processor in the upcoming Mac mini.
Using the M1 Pro and M1 Max CPUs in the newest MacBook Pro notebooks has already wowed us. The M2 processor is a follow-up to the M1 and is expected to debut in the MacBook Air 2022, focusing on efficiency rather than sheer performance.
We’ll get both M1 Pro and M2 chip Mac minis this year, according to Mark Gurman. Because it’s utilising an older chipset, he thinks the M1 Pro version will be released first, but the M2 version and other Macs using the same new hardware will come soon thereafter.
Mock-up rendering by Ian Zelbo based on Jon Prosser’s revelations of the future Mac mini (Image credit: Jon Prosser & Ian Zelbo)
The most solid speculations about the upcoming Mac mini’s appearance came from well-known leaker Jon Prosser, who said in May that it will be smaller and include more ports. A specific claim was that it will include the same magnetic charging connection as the forthcoming 24-inch iMac 2021, along with four Thunderbolt connectors and two USB-A ports. Ethernet and HDMI ports would also be featured.
The Mac Mini in 2022
A new Mac mini is expected to be released in 2022; the only uncertainties are when, what’s inside and how it’s going to appear. Some serious issues, to be sure.
Nevertheless, we’re looking forward to seeing what Apple has in store for the next major release of its tiniest computer ever.