Apple explains why 2024 Mac mini has power button on bottom

Apple launched the 2024 Mac mini with upgraded hardware, featuring up to the M4 Pro. Besides the performance upgrade, the new mini PC is also smaller than the predecessor, having a footprint that's less than half of the predecessor. The tweaked design also introduces a bottom-placed power button, which raised questions.

In an interview, two senior vice presidents at Apple, Greg Joswiak and John Ternus, explained why the power button had to be relocated. According to the company officials, one of the reasons is the reduced size. The smaller footprint required the button to be placed at the optimal position, and the bottom was the ideal choice.

Initial impressions of the design pointed to the relocated power button being hard to push when it's on a tabletop. However, the two vice presidents assert that you hardly need to use the power button, which is another reason why it's placed on the bottom of the 2024 Mac mini.

Most users leave their Mac powered on, putting it in sleep mode. So, in general, the power button is used only when users need to force restart or force shutdown the system, and the two Apple vice presidents say that the button can be easily accessed in such cases. You just need to "tuck your finger in there." Lifting it isn't an issue either, as the top-end variant of the system weighs only 1.6 lbs (about 0.72 kg).

Of course, the relocated power button could make things a little tricky when the 2024 Mac mini is mounted on the back of a display or a TV (AOC CQ27G3Z gaming monitor curr. $249.99 on Amazon). The vice presidents didn't talk about this, and it's possible that Apple may not factored in this installation case when deciding on the design.