The Apple rumor mill has been churning with Mac mini rumors for quite some time now, and the latest comes from 9to5Mac sources who say that Apple is developing a redesigned Mac mini that will be powered with next-gen Apple Silicon, the “M2” and the “M2 Pro” chips.
Codenamed J473, the new Mac mini will be powered by the M2 chip, which is Apple’s next-generation entry-level chip for Macs and iPads.
Internally known as “Staten,” M2 is based on the current A15 chip, while M1 is based on the A14 Bionic. Just like M1, M2 will feature an eight-core CPU (four performance cores and four efficiency cores), but this time with a more powerful 10-core GPU. The new performance cores are codenamed “Avalanche,” and efficiency cores are known as “Blizzard.”
Apple has also been working on another new Mac mini (codenamed J474) that features the M2 Pro chip – a variant with eight performance cores and four efficiency cores, totaling a 12-core CPU versus the 10-core CPU of the current M1 Pro.
MacDailyNews Take: According to the report, Apple currently has no plans to release Mac mini models powered by either “M2 Max” or “M2 Ultra” chips. This is likely due to thermal constraints within Mac mini’s small size. (See: Apple’s M1 Ultra Mac Studio keeps its cool with a two-pound heatsink.)
In February, Mark Gurman reported for Bloomberg News that Apple was readying new Mac mini models powered by the M1 Pro and “M2” chips.
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