Mac mini 2022 expectations
The Mac mini is a special device within the entire Mac lineup. The Mac mini is the cheapest model and at the same time it is also the smallest Mac because of the lack of a screen. This makes it an attractive starter for Windows users, for example, who want to try a Mac, but it is also widely used as a server and for other applications. The Mac mini is loved by its audience and according to the latest rumors, Apple will soon release a new model. The new model will get a more powerful chip and possibly a new design. Here's what we expect from the Mac mini 2022.
- More powerful chip
- Redesigned design
- More ports
- No more Intel
- Release
- Price
#1 More powerful M1 chip
The new Mac mini will be a more powerful variant of the already existing Mac mini 2020 with M1 chip. According to several sources, Apple will use the M1 Pro/M1 Max. This is the same chip you will find in the MacBook Pro 2021. This delivers even faster performance, making the Mac mini more suitable for heavier work. The M1 Pro chip has 8 or 10 CPU cores, while the M1 Max always has 10. In terms of GPU cores, you can choose from 14 and 16 (M1 Pro) or 24 and 32 (M1 Max). The maximum memory is 32GB with the M1 Pro and 64GB with the M1 Max. The Mac mini 2022 will probably get the same specs.
#2 Redesigned
Apple would give this Mac mini a new design. Renders have also been published showing what this design would look like. According to the source, the top consists of a plexiglass-like material. It looks a bit like the very first Mac mini. The model would also become flatter with a flat foot. The housing itself is made of aluminum. It remains to be seen which colors it will be available in. Silver and space gray are still an option, even though Apple now only uses silver for the current M1 version (and the older Intel version is only available in space gray).
#3 More ports on the back
An important part of the Mac mini are the ports on the back. After all, you still have to connect your own screen and possibly other peripherals to it. There would in any case be an HDMI port, USB-C and USB-A on the back. On the current model you will find two USB-C (Thunderbolt/USB 4) and two USB-A. Two more USB-c ports would be added on the new 2022 model. An SD card slot wouldn't surprise us either, given the addition in the 2021 MacBook Pro.
In addition, according to sources, the model will receive a Gigabit Ethernet port and of course the input for the power adapter. Apple would use the same connection for this as in the M1 iMac 2021: a round magnetic cable that you easily click into place. We wouldn't be surprised if the Ethernet port is also integrated into the power block, just like with the iMac. The power supply may then no longer come into the Mac mini itself, but disconnect halfway through the cable. This then rests on the floor, so that you can also plug in the Ethernet cable. You then have one less cable on your desk.
#4 End of the Intel Mac mini?
The new Mac mini 2022 will probably replace the Intel variant that Apple currently sells. Apple still has Intel variants of some Macs available. These are the more expensive and high-end models, which will soon be replaced by Apple Silicon models. In 2020, the M1 versions only replaced the entry-level models from Intel, but Apple has now started replacing the Pro models. At the end of last year, the more powerful Intel MacBook Pros were replaced and now it is the turn of the high-end Intel Mac mini to make room for Apple Silicon.
#5 Release new Mac mini 2022
We believe Apple will announce the new Mac mini 2022 in Spring 2022, at a possible event in March or April. Another option is that the release will follow a little later, sometime in the summer with an announcement in June during WWDC.
Previously, there were rumors that the new Mac mini would be released in the fall of 2021, at the same time as the MacBook Pro 2021. But that did not happen. That doesn't mean the Mac mini 2022 has been scrapped, but that Apple simply needed more time or opted for a different schedule.
#6 Expected price of Mac mini 2022
In terms of price, we think the new M1 Pro/Max Mac mini is about the same level as the current Intel Mac mini, maybe a little more expensive. This model now retails at Apple for €1,259, so expect a price around that level.
Revision history:
- 2022 – January 21, 10:23: Article updated with latest rumors for release in 2022.
- 2021 – October 18, 10:12 AM: Article updated for the October 2021 event.