On Monday it was exactly three years since Apple issued an update for the Mac Mini, the company’s lowest-priced and smallest desktop computer. The Mac Mini received its last revamp on 16th October 2014 and Apple markets it as a ‘computer-only’ device without a keyboard, mouse, or screen. The present version still runs on integrated Intel HD 5000/Intel Iris Graphics and Haswell processors.
The entry-level model sells for $499 – more than 50% cheaper than the iMac, which will set you back $1,099 for a 21-inch, non-4K edition.
With the last update, Apple disappointed fans by dropping support for dual hard drives and quad-core processors.
At this stage, it’s unclear whether the company will ever launch a new Mac Mini. Before the 2014 version was released the company issued updates in 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2007 and 2006 – and it has never taken three years for a new update to be released.
Many Apple fans are anxiously waiting for news about this, particularly those who use Mac Minis in their businesses.
Recently, when announcing that Apple intends to build a modular Mac Pro, Phil Schiller – the company’s head of marketing, stated that the Mac Mini was ‘an important product’ in their current range, hinting that this particular model was here to stay. He didn’t say anything about a pending update though.
Pike’s Universum just hinted that Apple might be planning a new, more upmarket and bigger Mac Mini. No official statements confirm this, so far. If it is in the pipeline, we might see either Eight-Generation Kaby Lake Refresh chips or Seventh-Generation Kaby Lake chips.
The Mac Mini generally features the same 15W U-series chips of the 13-inch MacBook Pro. The U-series all use four cores, so a future Mac Mini running on Kaby Lake Refresh chips will bring back the quad core setup many users prefer.