Apple Mac mini receives Apple M2 and M2 Pro chipsets with quad Thunderbolt 4 connectivity
Apple has refreshed the Mac mini, the first update for the mini-PC series in two years. Unsurprisingly, the latest Mac mini replaces the Apple M1-powered Mac mini, which was one of the first product lines to offer Apple silicon. However, Apple has finally ditched the Intel-powered edition that it sold alongside Apple M1-powered versions.
As expected, the Mac mini is now available with Apple M2 and Apple M2 Pro processors, details of the latter we have covered separately. In short, Apple has added two efficiency cores, although it has not confirmed whether 10-core CPU versions of the M2 Pro contain 6 or 8 performance cores. Regardless, the adoption of the Apple M2 series allows the Mac mini to be configured with 24 GB or 32 GB of unified memory and 4 TB or 8 TB of storage.
Contrary to rumours, the new Mac mini retains its predecessor's design. In fact, the latest model is slightly heavier if you opt for an M2 Pro edition at 1.28 kg compared to 1.2 kg for the older Mac mini. Conversely, Apple M2-powered models are 20 g lighter, possibly because they have two Thunderbolt 4 ports, half the amount found in M2 Pro versions. The two USB Type-A ports, single HDMI connection and Ethernet port return, albeit with a 10 Gbit Ethernet option.
Additionally, the move to Apple M2 gives the Mac mini Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E connectivity. The new Mac mini is orderable now in multiple markets, with shipments starting next week. At launch, the Mac mini comes in three pre-configured SKUs but there are plenty of configuration options available. Apple's pre-configured options are as follows:
- US$599 - Apple M2 (8-core CPU/10-core GPU), 8 GB unified memory, 256 GB SSD
- US$799 - Apple M2 (8-core CPU/10-core GPU), 8 GB unified memory, 512 GB SSD
- US$1,299 - Apple M2 Pro (10-core CPU/16-core GPU), 16 GB unified memory, 512 GB SSD
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