Mac mini M4: Allegedly with USB ports on the front for the first time
The Mac mini 2024 is apparently set to be significantly smaller, but will Apple be cutting important ports at the same time? A report provides fresh information
Apple's Mac Studio – here in the picture – has already shown the way and offers several connections on the front.
(Image: Mac & i)
After well over 10 years, the Mac mini is apparently due for a comprehensive redesign. Apple is reportedly not planning to radically cut the ports, as some users had feared. The more expensive Mac mini M4 Pro will still have an Ethernet port, HDMI and a headphone jack on board, reports Mark Gurman, who is usually well-informed about Apple's plans, in his Bloomberg newsletter. In addition, five USB-C ports will be integrated instead of the current four, which will probably support Thunderbolt.
Mac mini M4 Pro with USB ports on the front
For the first time, two of the ports will also be located directly on the front of the desktop Mac, writes Gurman. This would make them much easier to access. The somewhat clumsy Mac Studio has already demonstrated this, but it is an absolute novelty for the Mac mini series.
Until now, the Pro version of the Mac mini has come with four USB-C ports and two USB-A ports. Apple is therefore doing away with the latter in the new edition. Apple banned USB-A ports from MacBooks many years ago, but has retained them in the classic desktop Macs to date. The iMac has also relied purely on USB-C since the new edition in 2021.
When will Macs with M4 chips appear?
According to the report, the power supply unit is still integrated directly into the Mac mini's housing and not – externally, as is the case with the current iMac. Concrete specifications, such as the HDMI port, are not yet available. It also remains to be seen how the upcoming cheaper entry-level model will be equipped with the basic M4, presumably with fewer integrated USB ports.
Apple is reportedly planning to update the former entry-level Mac in the fall with an M4 and an M4 Pro chip, and at the same time significantly reduce the size of the housing. The Mac mini M4 is almost as compact as the "Apple TV" TV box, which measures just over 9 × 9 cm, it was reported at the beginning of August. Since the switch to Apple's own processors in 2020, the Mac mini case has been largely empty. New Macs with M4 chips, including the Mac mini, MacBook Pro and iMac, are expected in October or November.
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