Apple just released a refreshed M1 Mac Mini last November, but it looks like we might see a higher-end version featuring the rumours M1X chip sometime this spring.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman notes in his newsletter that the the Intel Mac Mini will be replaced in “the next several months.” Apple kept the Intel-powered Mini around because the M1 version was meant to function as an entry-level device. However, the Mac Mini is also a popular device for software development as well as video editing. For those power users, the M1 Mini was a tad frustrating, because it doesn’t have as many ports.
For example, the M1 Mini’s networking options were limited when it first launched. While you could get support for Wi-Fi 6, it was only available via an Ethernet port. Then, Apple quietly updated the Mini following its Spring Loaded event earlier this year to include an optional 10-Gigabit ethernet port.
Besides a more powerful M1X chip — if that’s what Apple decides to actually name the successor to the M1 — the upcoming Mini will also have ports galore as well as an “updated design.” As to what that design will be, leaker Jon Prosser claims it’ll have a “plexiglass top” and the same type of magnetic power port as the new iMacs (Prosser has a mixed track record when it comes to Apple predictions, so take that with a grain of salt).
The big thing here is timing. Rumours began to swirl last week that Apple would once again be holding multiple launch events this spring. Next month, we’ll likely see the new iPhone 13 lineup, along with new entry-level AirPods, a new iPad Mini, and the Apple Watch Series 7. However, the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBooks with M1X are expected to have their own event before the end of November.
If there are separate events, the new high-end Mac Mini will most likely debut alongside them. Given that Gurman says the new Mac Mini will come in the next several months, it’s increasingly likely that we’ll see at least one Mac-centric event that’s separate from the iPhone launch.