Apple appears to be working on an upgraded Mac Mini with more CPU and GPU cores, a redesigned case, and thank goodness—a better port selection. This new Mac Mini could release sometime in 2022, according to the latest edition of Bloomberg’s Power On newsletter, and will replace the high-end Intel Mac Mini that launched in 2018.
Like Apple’s upcoming MacBook Pro 16-inch, the new Mac Mini likely runs on an M1X chip. This upgraded chip is in the same family as the M1 processor but may feature 12 CPU cores and 16 GPU cores for improved performance (especially in graphics-heavy tasks), better multi-monitor support (a big issue for M1), and RAM configurations up to 64GB (M1 offers 8GB or 16GB). Oh, and more ports.
Jon Prosser recently stated that the M1X Mac Mini will feature four Thunderbolt 3 ports and a new MagSafe charging jack on top of all its existing ports. Focusing on Thunderbolt 3 makes sense, as it opens the door to external hubs and other accessories. It also solves one of the M1 Mac Mini’s biggest issues—if you don’t want to use HDMI, then you have to sacrifice one of its two USB-C ports to your computer monitor.
Of course, we don’t have any concrete evidence to confirm Jon Prosser’s leaked specs. But Apple used the M1X name in its recent WWDC livestream, and the company needs something more powerful than the M1 to put in its higher-end machines. Overcoming its M1 devices’ poor port selection and graphics performance would solve many of the complaints held by Mac users.
We’ll probably see the M1X MacBook Pro before we see the M1X Mac Mini, though nothing’s for certain. Mark Gurman also speculates that Apple will refresh the MacBook Air design in 2022, though its specs may remain unchanged.