Apple has reportedly abandoned plans to redesign the Mac mini as uber-analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says that the next-gen Mac mini will likely feature the same design as the current model.
Hartley Charlton for MacRumors:
According to a recent claim from reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the next-generation Mac mini is likely to retain the same form factor as the current model, which is an aluminum unibody design that Apple has used for every new Mac mini since 2010.
Apple has been believed to be working on a new Mac mini for some time. It updated the entry-level Mac mini with the M1 chip in November 2020, but the high-end offering is still the Space Gray model with an Intel processor from 2018. The potential of replacing this older high-end model with an Apple silicon machine was previously at the center of rumors related to new Mac minis, but now it looks like both the entry-level and the high-end model may be refreshed simultaneously.
MacDailyNews Take: While a new design might juice sales a bit (it’s “NEW!”), the aluminum square with rounded corners Mac mini design is already minimalist beauty. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
If the current design can handle housing a slow, hot, inefficient Intel snail, it can certainly accommodate fast, cool, efficient Apple Silicon!
A new color or color choices (see: iMac) alone would help in the sales department.
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The current design has enough empty volume inside to allow the option for M1 Pro. The M1 variants have plenty of life. The bigger MacBook Pro models are less than one year old, and Mac Studio is just a few weeks old. Make M1 Pro Mac Mini “dark” to finally retire that (supposedly) high-end Intel Mac mini model. It’ll nicely fill out the desktop performance range from low-end M1 Mac mini to M1 Ultra Mac Studio. I like the current external design, so keep it a while longer.
That is not the Apple philosophy
Laptop Butterfly Keyboards Anyone?
the current design is perfect. Apple just have to add more ports at the back and 1 USB-C and a card reader at the front
Yes, if the Mac studio can have front side ports, why can’t the mini have at least one USB and one SD card port.
All the points above are valid, so I’ll add one more reason to keep the design if this report is true…changing it too much could cause pain for companies that have invested heavily in this product like Mac mini server farms, MacStadium and Macminicolo.
It truly is a work of art.
Yeah, but what about the “Bluetooth can’t get through the aluminum” issue? At least put a plexi top on it! I can’t use a wireless mouse with my 2012 quad.