Apple is said to be planning to overhaul its entire Mac line of computers with its own M4 chipset that can deliver artificial intelligence (AI)-based features. The Cupertino, California-based company launched its M3-powered MacBook Pro models and the 24-inch M3 iMac last year, before introducing new M3-powered MacBook Air models in March. Apple is also said to be working on a Mac mini refresh, but a new report says the company could skip the M3 generation and launch an updated M4-powered Mac mini in late 2024.
The information comes from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who previously reported that Apple could release the M3 Mac mini in 2024. In his latest Power On newsletter, however, Gurman claimed that Apple could skip the M3 Mac mini altogether and instead focus on refreshing the model with its next generation M4 chipset.
In the Q&A section of his newsletter (via MacRumors ), Gurman said he doesn’t expect the M3 Mac mini to hit shelves this year. This development comes a week after Gurman claimed that the M4 and M4 Pro-powered Mac minis would arrive between late 2024 and early 2025. In his latest newsletter, he doubles down on that claim, explaining that an M4 Mac mini could launch as soon as late 2024. wouldn’t leave “room for the M3 models to come out before then, so it’s probably safe to say that those Mac desktops will skip the M3 generation.”
Last year in July, Gurman reported that the Mac mini with the M3 was likely to come out in 2024. Since then, Apple has refreshed its line of Macs with the M3 chip, but continues to sell the Mac mini models with the M2 and M2 Pro, launched in January 2023.
Apple debuted its 3nm M3 chipset with the new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro variants, along with the only 24-inch M3 iMac, at its Scary Fast event last October. The new MacBook Pro line runs on the M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max chipset families. Earlier this year in March, the company refreshed its MacBook Air lineup with the M3 processor, revealing 13-inch and 15-inch models.
Apple last updated the Mac mini in January 2023 with the M2 and M2 Pro chipsets. Currently, the M2 Mac mini is available in three configurations — the M2-powered Mac mini with an 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of SSD storage, and an 8-core CPU, 10- core GPU, 8 GB of RAM, and 512 GB of SSD memory; and an M2 Pro-powered Mac mini with a 10-core CPU, 16-core GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage.
Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported that Apple intends to revamp its entire Mac lineup with an AI-focused M4 processor. The company is reportedly nearing production of the next-generation M4 chip, which will likely come in three main variants.