Apple has refreshed the compact Mac mini with two configurations: a new entry model powered by an M6 chip and a higher-end machine using the M5 Pro, all in the same small chassis as the 2024 generation same tiny design and footprint as the 2024 M4 / M4 Pro models. Preorders begin immediately and the company says units won't ship until September 22nd.
The practical changes matter for performance and connectivity. The base M6 Mac mini now starts with 16GB of unified memory and 256GB of storage, while the M5 Pro model starts with a 24GB / 512GB configuration, and both lines use storage that is now twice as fast. Apple has also upgraded networking, fitting 2.5 gigabit ethernet ports as standard (with an optional 10 gigabit upgrade) and adding Apple’s N1 chip for Wi‑Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. The company priced the new Minis higher than the previous generation: both models cost $100 more at their entry points.
Under the hood the M6 widens the performance gap from the prior Mac mini: it carries a 12-core CPU and 12-core GPU and 170GBps of memory bandwidth, compared with the M4’s 10-core / 10-core configuration and 120GBps memory bandwidth. The M5 Pro version uses the same high-end silicon already shipped in Apple’s MacBook Pro range M5 Pro found in this year’s MacBook Pro, placing the mini further into the territory of workstation-style workflows.
Apple’s desktop refresh is broader than the mini: the company also rolled out updates to its Studio-class desktop and higher-end chips alongside the mini new Mac Studio, signalling a push up the performance ladder across its desktop line. For buyers that value the Mac mini’s small footprint, the upgrade path now favours users who need stronger compute and faster networking, including the sort of on‑device AI workloads that strained inventory on last year’s Minis, a scarcity the company explicitly noted last-gen models became scarce due to higher than expected demand for running AI agents.
This is a clear shift: the Mac mini remains the smallest Mac, but Apple has moved its baseline up the stack, better performance and connectivity, and a higher price. If you used to pick a mini as the lowest-cost entry to the Mac ecosystem, this update matters; if you need compact, pro-level compute it is now a more capable, and more expensive, option.