The Mac mini’s design has remained consistent over the years, and 2024 appears to follow this trend. According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the “next new Mac mini” will retain the same form factor design as its Mac Mini predecessors. This means the device will continue to be 7.75 inches square and 1.41 inches thick.

The last notable design change occurred in 2023 with the M2 Mac Mini slightly thicker and lighter. Despite rumors in 2021 about a Mac mini with a plexiglass top and other design modifications, such a device never came to fruition. The Mac mini remains Apple’s most compact desktop machine, designed to be paired with a standalone display, keyboard, and mouse.

M4 Chip

The highlight of the 2024 Mac mini refresh is the inclusion of Apple’s M4 and M4 Pro chips, skipping the M3 line entirely. The M4 chip, first introduced in the iPad Pro, is built on a second-generation 3-nanometer process technology. This chip promises a significant performance boost, offering 50% faster CPU performance and up to 4x faster-rendering performance compared to the M2 chip.

The M4 chip features a 10-core CPU and a 10-core GPU. There is also a 9-core CPU variant, but it is expected to be used in the iPad Pro and a future MacBook Air, rather than the Mac mini. Additionally, the M4 chip boasts a more advanced 16-core Neural Engine, supporting hardware-accelerated ray tracing—a feature absent in the M2. Apple has emphasized the AI capabilities of the M4’s Neural Engine, describing it as an “absolute powerhouse for AI.”

Details about the M4 Pro chip remain under wraps, as it is anticipated to be released later this year.

The 2024 Mac mini is set to be a powerful upgrade with the inclusion of the M4 chip, offering substantial improvements in performance and AI capabilities. While the design remains largely unchanged, the internal enhancements make this refresh a significant step forward for Apple’s compact desktop lineup.