The new Mac mini is almost certainly coming

[nylonsteel]

my m4 pro mini is back ordered till aug-sept 2026. the m5 chip may be shipping by then.
all things considered i'm ok with my upcoming m4 pro purchase. i wont be doing cpu intensive tasks. But bad on aapl for making us wait so long for our already paid mini. we should get some good freebies for the wait. supply chain failure on aapl. be better aapl as a company for our sake and for the investors in the stock

 

[Charlie Bonesx]

my m4 pro mini is back ordered till aug-sept 2026. the m5 chip may be shipping by then.
all things considered i'm ok with my upcoming m4 pro purchase. i wont be doing cpu intensive tasks. But bad on aapl for making us wait so long for our already paid mini. we should get some good freebies for the wait. supply chain failure on aapl. be better aapl as a company for our sake and for the investors in the stock

I wouldn't count on the m5 shipping by then

 

[sublunar]

I wouldn't count on the m5 shipping by then

It'll be an M6 😛

 

[Time89]

This is my Mac mini M4. There are many like it, but this one is mine!

 

[poorcody]

Well, here it is after 5:00PM on Jun 11 2026 and I haven't heard anything about new M5 Minis and Studios. So, how does the DGX Spark w/ Ubuntu match up to a comparable Studio?

From an AI perspective, Spark is probably better for training, worse for inference, all things being equal. If you're not doing large models, a 4090 can outperform both though.

 

[Boil]

Well, here it is after 5:00PM on Jun 11 2026 and I haven't heard anything about new M5 Minis and Studios. So, how does the DGX Spark w/ Ubuntu match up to a comparable Studio?

From an AI perspective, Spark is probably better for training, worse for inference, all things being equal. If you're not doing large models, a 4090 can outperform both though.

There is also the recently announced RTX Spark on the horizon, which runs Windows 11, I would assume the ARM variant; the GPU is comparable to the laptop variant of the RTX 5070...

Options for a very compact desktop computer...!

• Mac Studio & macOS
• DGX Spark & DGX OS (Ubuntu-based)
• RTX Spark & Windows 11 OS (for ARM)

Apple will need to increase or return the ability to upgrade to more RAM though if they want to compete with the DGX/RTX, which has (up to for the RTX Spark) 128GB of unified memory, the Mac Studio tops out at 64GB of RAM for the M4 Max & 96GB of RAM for the M3 Ultra variant; and they will REALLY need to rethink their storage pricing as the DGX Spark has a 4TB SSD, which is a $1K to $1.2K upgrade (Ultra versus Max) on the Mac Studio...

 

[sublunar]

I strongly suspect that people who want a Mac Neo might now get their wish given ram prices are being blamed for pending price increases by Apple after Tim Cook’s recent remarks.

 

[theluggage]

Apple will need to increase or return the ability to upgrade to more RAM though if they want to compete with the DGX/RTX, which has (up to for the RTX Spark) 128GB of unified memory, the Mac Studio tops out at 64GB of RAM for the M4 Max & 96GB of RAM for the M3 Ultra variant; and they will REALLY need to rethink their storage pricing as the DGX Spark has a 4TB SSD, which is a $1K to $1.2K upgrade (Ultra versus Max) on the Mac Studio...

So, I'm seeing $4699 for the DGX Spark vs.... $4699 for Studio M4 Max, 128GB, 4TB.

OK, I know that that particular Studio configuration isn/t currently available, while the DGX apparently is - and that's an issue if you want one now - but that's a short-term problem that isn't going to be solved by Apple changing the spec. Long term, its reasonable to assume that the immediate problem is Apple running out of M4 Max/M3 Ultra Studios before they have enough M5 capacity to launch the new models, and that the higher-RAM Studio configurations will return with the M5/M6 update. Meanwhile, we'll have to see how NVIDIA does against ongoing price rises and shortages... which aren't just RAM and SSD, but also a wider problem with CPU/GPU manufacturing capacity. NVIDIA already bumped the price once earlier this year - that doesn't mean that they won't again.

 

[maflynn]

OK, I know that that particular Studio configuration isn/t currently available, while the DGX apparently is

What's your use case? Obviously the spark will be great for LLMs, and if that's your intended usage it makes a lot of sense. For general computing, I don't know if its going to be as good as the Studio. Though with that said, if the spark is available and studio isn't...

 

[sublunar]

So a flat £200 all SKU price increase on the Mini, not to mention an increase in customisation cost if you wanted 1Tb or 2Tb of storage.

And on top of that we see rumours of no M6 Pro this time round - with Apple releasing M6 before going straight to M7 and M7 Pro etc.

Does that deliver a strong argument to keep the Mini priced keenly by dropping the Pro sku?

And how much whining would there be if the iPad Pro gets M6 while a Mac mini gets M5/M5 Pro?

At the moment the ongoing irony is you can go to Argos in the UK and pick up a 16/512 M5 MacBook Pro for £1249 - Apple will try and sell you a 16/512 M4 mini for £999.

For comparison you can get an 13" M5 Air for £1099.

So it seems the best value Mac mini right now is a discontinued SKU of the 14" M5 MBP from last year available while stocks last at various third party retailers.

 

[sublunar]

You know, once the dust settles on this if Apple declare the end of support for m1 series macs perhaps as soon as next June - with the price of new m6 or m7 macs the way they are - there’s going to be hell to pay.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see RAM prices staying high and possibly a Mac Neo inspired base model with an A series chip becoming the 599 sku if sales figures tank in q3 or q4

 

[mcnallym]

You know, once the dust settles on this if Apple declare the end of support for m1 series macs perhaps as soon as next June - with the price of new m6 or m7 macs the way they are - there’s going to be hell to pay.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see RAM prices staying high and possibly a Mac Neo inspired base model with an A series chip becoming the 599 sku if sales figures tank in q3 or q4

Well the Mac Studio launched in 2022 with M1 Processors.
They were also touting the set for 10 years.
Even got quoted that when picked mine up.
So if they don’t keep an OS with updates till 2032 then there will be complaints.
Certainly can see some features in the OS not being supported but they should keep an OS support till 2032 based on what they said when the studio launched.
I doubt will actually happen though

 

[IvyKing]

Well the Mac Studio launched in 2022 with M1 Processors.
They were also touting the set for 10 years.
Even got quoted that when picked mine up.
So if they don’t keep an OS with updates till 2032 then there will be complaints.
Certainly can see some features in the OS not being supported but they should keep an OS support till 2032 based on what they said when the studio launched.
I doubt will actually happen though

If Apple was advertising support for 10 years, they will be facing lawsuits if they renege on that offer.

 

[yellowhelicopter]

I wouldn’t be surprised to see RAM prices staying high and possibly a Mac Neo inspired base model with an A series chip becoming the 599 sku if sales figures tank in q3 or q4

IMO, there is no sense in a Mac Mini with A chip, I mean what would be its target audience. Macbook-A is popular amongst students and as a general purpose cheap mobile computer, but it includes screen. Who needs a low performance 8GB RAM desktop computer for 599 in 2026. Basically a mobile phone in desktop case.

 

[sublunar]

IMO, there is no sense in a Mac Mini with A chip, I mean what would be its target audience. Macbook-A is popular amongst students and as a general purpose cheap mobile computer, but it includes screen. Who needs a low performance 8GB RAM desktop computer for 599 in 2026. Basically a mobile phone in desktop case.

Shareholders didn't like the price hikes. It leaves big holes in low cost computing line ups and the reason behind the share price drops following the price hikes must be because the stock market believes demand (and unit sales) may fall as a result.

For me, Apple could decide to offer an A19 Pro in a second generation MacBook Neo (in theory with 12Gb RAM) if they thought a desktop model needed it but in the current RAM situation and with the AI folks responsible for the shortage of Mac minis and Studios still waiting around in the wings - if an A18 Pro is capable of running AI models then Apple could just not offer one.

And in any case, at this stage an A18Pro in a fan cooled box (with or without Thunderbolt ports) is in effect an AppleTV Pro if Apple make the effort to allow TVOS to boot on Mac hardware in 2027.

For me, an effective medium term decrease in Mac buying due to the shock of price hikes should lead to at least another 'Snow Leopard' style optimisation upgrade for the 2028 OSes as the back end will see more people holding onto older M1/M2 hardware for longer.

 

[BSDnostalgia]

Well the Mac Studio launched in 2022 with M1 Processors.
They were also touting the set for 10 years.

The Studio should be software-supportable until 2032. Why not? OTOH, I'm not sure it will be repairable that long. But, same thing as a 2009 MBP, right?

So if they don’t keep an OS with updates till 2032

There is a balancing point where third-party TB attachments need driver updates and the OS needs security updates. At some point it stops being automatic that everything will just work.

Certainly can see some features in the OS not being supported but they should keep an OS support till 2032

I don't see why a new version of MacOS couldn't be installed until 2032. I don't know if your third-party hardware will stay compatible that long.

IMO, there is no sense in a Mac Mini with A chip

I think the A19 Pro with 12 GB could be perfect for a minimal entry-level Mini.

 

[Macalicious2011]

I think the A19 Pro with 12 GB could be perfect for a minimal entry-level Mini.

Yupp. The price hike have created a vacum for a mac mini neo.

If they price it at $499 it would be a great gateway product for the Mac eco system.

They could even save cost by making it plastic like the Apple TV!

 

[sublunar]

Yupp. The price hike have created a vacum for a mac mini neo.

If they price it at $499 it would be a great gateway product for the Mac eco system.

They could even save cost by making it plastic like the Apple TV!

Something that small in size perhaps should be packaged as an Apple TV, the a15 version currently costs 249. Dropping that into something like the Apple TV body shell but with Ethernet, hdmi, and a usb-c port or two - even with the price increase, should cost no more than 349 usd given all they are adding is 128gb of storage to make it 256gb- upgrading the cpu (normally no extra cost), and adding a usb-c port. Ok, take into account crazy storage costs and 399-499 could be justified I suppose.

The upshot is that what is currently an overpriced Apple TV suddenly becomes a bottom end Mac mini sku.

 

[Time89]

Something that small in size perhaps should be packaged as an Apple TV, the a15 version currently costs 249. Dropping that into something like the Apple TV body shell but with Ethernet, hdmi, and a usb-c port or two - even with the price increase, should cost no more than 349 usd given all they are adding is 128gb of storage to make it 256gb- upgrading the cpu (normally no extra cost), and adding a usb-c port. Ok, take into account crazy storage costs and 399-499 could be justified I suppose.

The upshot is that what is currently an overpriced Apple TV suddenly becomes a bottom end Mac mini sku.

and it sold out in every major retail.

 

[sublunar]

and it sold out in every major retail.

I would certainly have paid 169 for an aged out Apple tv mk3 over the 249 it would cost now.

The mk4 had better be something special for 249…

 

[Time89]

Its looks like the same pattern that they use with mac mini m4: first step - none available in any retail for a months. Second step - rise price by $200. And now they available everywhere- consumers (including my self) jump to buy, in case another price increase happen again. Apple collected their $$$$

 

[sublunar]

Its looks like the same pattern that they use with mac mini m4: first step - none available in any retail for a months. Second step - rise price by $200. And now they available everywhere- consumers (including my self) jump to buy, in case another price increase happen again. Apple collected their $$$$

To be fair, I just checked the Apple online store and a 16/256 m4 mini is 3-4 weeks away in the uk so supplies are still constrained. This could be artificially of course but I couldn’t get such a mini tomorrow as most third party retailers are also out of stock (although also selling at the ‘old’ price at the moment)

 

[Cape Dave]

What with the "ram shortage" and the fact that the market is topsy turvy anyways and delays are happening all over the place, and apple is so far behind on AI it is laughable, this is a perfect storm for Apple to do anything they damn please, so, what we get is ghostware products all with insanely increased prices and to boot we cannot even buy the items 🙂

 

[CWallace]

I wouldn't count on the m5 shipping by then

It'll be an M6 😛

I have a feeling that the current production run of M5 family SoCs is being completely absorbed by the iPad Pro and MacBook Pro, leaving none available for a Mac mini or Mac Studio.

Yes, Apple could order more M5 family SoCs from TSMC, but they also do not have enough A19 family SoCs for the iPhone. So if they're going to allocate wafer capacity, they will likely do so for the A19 and not the M5. This will start to alleviate this summer as Apple moves the iPhone Pro from the 3nm A19 to the 2nm A20, which will free up 3nm wafer capacity that can then be used to increase M5 family SoC production.

We also have reports that Apple will not make an M6 Pro and M6 Max, instead waiting for the M7 generation in 2027. This may be due to inability to get sufficient 2nm wafers, so they do not want to spend that space on larger SoCs and instead stick with the smaller A20 and base M6 designs.

As such, I expect the mini will skip M6 and the update will be M5 and M5 Pro in 2026 and then M7 and M7 Pro in 2027/2028.

 

[sublunar]

As such, I expect the mini will skip M6 and the update will be M5 and M5 Pro in 2026 and then M7 and M7 Pro in 2027/2028.

Not wishing to put a downer on it but a Mac mini to get 2 updates in 12 months? I guess it would be an excuse for Apple to further jack the prices up again.

I think the iMac has to be involved in this conversation and in that case the iMac should perhaps get the m5 too. In a world of Mac mini and Mac Studio shortages the iMac seems to be the poor cousin - always available.

To be fair the story about a19 production for iPhone 17 winding down could pave the way for another MacBook Neo if they felt there was revenue there instead of making more m5 chips.