High-End 'M1X' Mac Mini With New Design and Additional Ports Expected to Launch in the 'Next Several Months'

[EyeTack]

I’d like to see the return of eGPU before I consider an Apple Silicon Mini.

I use an RX 570 now with a plan to upgrade to an RX 6800 for Christmas. This alone gets me a ton more usable lifetime out of the Mini. I don’t game too often, but my kids do and being able to keep up over the course of ownership was a factor in my decision.

 

[blackcrayon]

Ports could also mean interfaces, maybe Apple has found a way to use PCI slots, or add storage like a Xbox X can do and add M.2 interface for more memory if you need more ram with an interface to SOC system. If a Sony and Microsoft can figure it out Apple should be able to do also.

There are those PCI slot expansion chassis - the one's Sonnet makes basically turn your mini into the "brain" of a rack mount computer. If the new mini is even more compact, yet even more powerful (more RAM, more thunderbolt busses) it will be even more attractive for stuff like that.

Granted, I can't think of too many things I need for my mac in a PCIe card format (vs. just thunderbolt) these days except video cards, and those likely still won't be compatible (unless Apple has something up their sleeve on that one).

 

[ChromeAce]

On the low end, supporting macOS on the AppleTV would be a nice gimmick..

Already does. It’s called AirPlay Mirroring.

 

[BigKahunaBurguer]

For me, the Mac Mini has become Apple's most attractive computer. this new model is going to be great.

 

[Shirasaki]

Because Apple started defining ‘Pro’ machines as having 1 port so now ‘high end’ just means ‘practical’

More importantly, they will still call a portless iPhone something iPhone Pro Max or Pro despite having no ability to connect to a computer through wire and have no physical button.

 

[ilikewhey]

why the hell would a mac mini need a magnetic power cord, its not a laptop so it doesnt have mobility. this is either too fake of a news or the source is miles off.

 

[jz0309]

"several" is what? 3-12? that sounds right

 

[Shirasaki]

So there are going to be yearly refreshes of Mac Minis now? 😆

Oh god, given the performance jump YOY, there’s never a good time to truly buy a Mac cause next year model would gain 5x performance than the one last year. Geez.

 

[sledgehammer89]

I just want to have a 32GB RAM version of the current M1 Mac mini.

 

[blairh]

How about a new monitor Apple to pair it with that doesn’t cost a fortune??

 

[Cyclopse]

Any reason why would Apple release an M1X after a year of M1’s release instead of moving to an M2 and M2X? .. after all, A15 is just around the corner, might as well release an M2 and M2X.

 

[tubular]

On one hand, this is what I'm waiting for.

On the other hand, it's Gurman.

 

[tubular]

Why does Apple want to turn its 'entry level' Mac into a high end one?

Because it's not *just* an entry-level Mac. And when, from 2014 to 2018, when they tried to turn it *into* just an entry-level Mac, it stank.

 

[addictive]

why the hell would a mac mini need a magnetic power cord, its not a laptop so it doesnt have mobility. this is either too fake of a news or the source is miles off.

won't it just be similar to how the iMac's power connector attaches like a magnet?

 

[sunny5]

Why does Apple want to turn its 'entry level' Mac into a high end one?

A space grey Mac mini is still not yet replaced.

 

[InuNacho]

Hopefully the driver and hardware implementations are fixed. The 2018 and M1 Minis are a mess of sleep, monitor, bluetooth, and USB issues.

 

[jonnysods]

I’d just be impressed if they can make the current M1 Mac mini wake up from sleep without needing an adapter instead of the HDMI port, or get my Magic Mouse to work on it.

So frustrated with it.

 

[addictive]

On one hand, this is what I'm waiting for.

On the other hand, it's Gurman.

Gurman's the most reliable guy as he's given information directly from Apple executives. He's rarely wrong. He's not a leaker, he's a journalist with Bloomberg.

 

[xgman]

I'll take whichever X based cpu product comes first with 64 gb ram and a internal 4tb SSD option. Unfortunately those two things might have to wait for at least the larger imac at this point.

 

[ilikewhey]

won't it just be similar to how the iMac's power connector attaches like a magnet?

ah i see, i thought they meant the mag attachment like 2015 mbp.

 

[JMacHack]

On the thoughts about Apple and the “pro” branding:

in the 1970s, many cars and trucks were branded with “Custom”, “Deluxe”, and “Custom Deluxe” these were meaningless.

in the 1980s, “Turb” branding was applied to everything in same way

And in the 2020s, “pro” has lost all meaning in the same way.

 

[addictive]

I really hate that Mark Gurman has switched to bullsh*t claims like "in the next several months" when he's too afraid to give an exact date.

Do you think it might be because he doesn't know the exact date? We know Gurman is fed information by Apple executives. They are protective about the new product releases. Why would they give him exact dates several months out. Anyone on this site knows you don't get new Macs in August. September is iPhone month. October could happen and November might be the month given all the supply chain shortage issues. Therefore October or November could be the next several months. This would also include early next year should Apple decide upon a 2022 release.

 

[addictive]

lazy journalism, imagine if you tried that at work, hey i'll turn in the report in the next several months lol

This is such an idiotic response. If Gurman had an exact date he'd probably publish it if Apple allowed him, Gurman might well know already (unlikely) but he's possibility under some restrictions.

How can equate his report on a site with rumors in its name to a completely different field of work. Now that's lazy.

 

[jerryk]

why the hell would a mac mini need a magnetic power cord, its not a laptop so it doesnt have mobility. this is either too fake of a news or the source is miles off.

If they do this (big if), my guess is they want to get the Power Supply outside of the mini to free up some space like the iMac.

 

[theluggage]

So, the Intel model Mac Mini is more powerful than the M1 version? I don't understand the meaning of this...

No, the top-end 6-core i5/i7 Intel Mac Minis were more powerful than the entry-level i3 Intel Mac mini - which the M1 Mini replaced... The i5/i7 versions hung around because although the M1 is faster for some jobs, it has some restrictions (max 16GB RAM, only 2 displays & one has to be via HDMI) which meant it wasn't all-round better.

After this (probably) the top-end M1X Mac Mini will be all-round more powerful than the entry-level M1 Mac Mini and balance will be restored.

...or maybe (since the rumours say that the M1X will come in multiple versions) the whole Mini range will be replaced with low/mid/high-end specs of the M1X.

...or maybe the rumours are just rumours.