Next Mac mini could have iMac 2022 features and M2 chip power

Next Mac mini could have iMac 2021 features and M2 chip power

New Mac mini just leaked — what you need to know

(Image credit: Jon Prosser & Ian Zelbo)

Apple tree'south next Mac mini could feature a rather slick redesign that echoes some of the smart features of the iMac 2021.

That's going past mocked up renders made by concept artist Ian Zelbo based on information from leaker Jon Prosser, which testify of a slimmer compact desktop Mac with more ports.

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Over the years, Apple's compact desktop device has gone through picayune-to-no changes. When the latest Mac mini M1 was introduced, we didn't see a new pattern at all.

Instead, Apple reused the previous design and focused on the internal components, which in retrospect isn't bad at all, though a picayune change on the exterior side would still take been proficient to meet.

Prosser said that the blueprint of the adjacent Mac mini should exist more compact that before. "With the new Apple Silicon, the Mac mini does not accept to exist that big," he explained. And a smaller, slimmer redesign would actually make sense since Apple managed to pack a lot of Apple tree M1 chip ability into its new iMac 2021, and yet information technology ended upwards being nigh as thin as the iPad Air 2020.

Now, when it comes to the renders, the first thing that you see is an improver of a lot more than ports (finally). According to Prosser, the next Mac mini will feature the same magnetic charging connector that is included with the new iMac, 4 Thunderbolt ports, two USB-A ports, Ethernet and HDMI ports. However, to the disappointment of photo and video creators, there will obviously be no SD bill of fare slot.

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Prosser besides speculated about the potential addition of more than colors, which wouldn't be as large of a surprise, given that near of Apple'due south latest flagship devices now come up in a wide range of funky colors; that includes the iPhone 12, AirPods Max and the latest iMac. The metal meridian of the desktop device is likewise beingness swapped out for what looks like "a plexiglass-like material," which will sit on top of the aluminium enclosure.

"I take been told that they have been testing unlike colors. Translate that however you'd like," Prosser said.

And regarding internals, a contempo Bloomberg report mentions the fact that the next Mac mini will feature the same Apple Silicon equally the upcoming MacBook Pro 2021. That'due south thought to be the Apple M2 scrap, which is tipped to pack a 12-core CPU, sixteen or 32 GPU cores too as support for up to 64GB of RAM. The new bit featured in both the upcoming Mac mini and the next MacBook Pro is also said to have "a more advanced neural engine."

The blueprint leak and renders came shortly later on Jon Prosser reassured everyone via Twitter that the new Macbook Pro could be revealed during Apple's WWDC 2021 briefing. With WWDC 2021 just around the corner, time will tell which of these leaks come up to fruition.

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Denise is a news writer at Tom'southward Guide covering all things tech, gaming software/hardware, streaming, and more. She regularly produces short-form news articles also equally long-form content, including reviews, buying guides, how-tos, and features. When she's not alive-streaming horror games on Twitch, she tin be found exploring East London while playing Pokemon Go. She's also a role-time pianoforte enthusiast and regularly experiments in the kitchen. You lot can achieve her at denise.primbet@futurenet.com.