Apple’s new Mac Mini M4 rumored to sacrifice USB-A ports in major redesign that halves its size
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As always, Apple's new Mac products, as well as the new iPhone series, have been much-awaited. Currently, speculation points towards the tech giant releasing MacBooks featuring the new M4 chip later this year. Along with that, a new Mac Mini featuring the M4 processor is set to launch.
In fact, as per some recent reports, it seems likely that the mini PCs will undergo a major design overhaul. Apple has long been keen to streamline the design of its hardware, ditching ports long before anyone else dares to. On that note, we could see the upcoming Mac Mini lose its USB-A ports in favor of more USB-C.
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Mac Mini M4 may be smaller and ditch USB-A
According to Mark Gurman's latest newsletter in Bloomberg, the new Mac Mini will be significantly smaller than the 2023 variant. In fact, the Mac Mini M4 is likely to be half the size of the existing models, around the size of an Apple TV box, according to TechRadar.
However, this smaller chassis will come at the expense of USB-A ports. Instead of this port, the Mac Mini M4 will have five USB-C ports. Plus, users will get other ports as well, like an ethernet port, HDMI port, and headphone jack. For reference, the current 2023 Mac Mini features two USB-A ports.
New Mac Mini could also get its own power supply
Further, Gurman also mentioned that users won't have to carry around a power supply unit because the new Mac Mini M4 will be powered by its own internal power supply. This, along with the reduced size, would make the mini PC extra-portable.
As far as the launch is concerned, Gurman suggests that this new Mac Mini M4 will start shipping in October. Plus, he also mentioned that the Mac Mini will not be showcased at the upcoming ‘It's Glowtime' Apple event, which is scheduled for September 9th. The highlight of this event is that Apple will unveil the iPhone 16 series, which was said to launch with iOS 18 and AI features out of the box.
In any case, we won't know anything for sure until next month. That said, Apple does have a history of unveiling new products in October. For instance, last year, the company announced MacBook Pro and iMac models in a Halloween-themed event.
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