We're rapidly approaching new Mac season and the Mac Mini is due for a refresh. The current models are still using the M2 series chips, so Apple will most likely skip M3 and bring the Mac Mini straight to the M4 series. As if a spec bump wasn't exciting enough, rumors hint that Apple is planning to scale down the Mac Mini even more.
An ultra-portable design could make the Mac Mini the most versatile desktop PC in the world, especially if it becomes small enough to fit in a pocket. Could a Mac Mini that small replace your laptop?
The Mac Mini is downsizing and getting an upgrade
Apple's M4 Mac launches are right around the corner, so rumors about the whole line-up are heating up. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman shared an M4 launch forecast on Sunday that included a "revamped" Mac Mini slated for a November 1 release. This follows a major update Gurman revealed back in August, describing the M4 Mac Mini as Apple's "smallest computer ever." It could potentially be as compact as an Apple TV hub.
At first glance, it might be tough to imagine a "redesigned" Mac Mini since its current design is pretty bare-bones. It's a flat, square box with the Apple logo on top and ports in the back — no display, keyboard, or mouse included.
The Mini is intended to be an ultra-compact desktop PC that's minimalistic by design. However, if it gets significantly smaller than it already is, the Mini could take on a new level of versatility that could make it a surprise threat to MacBooks (and non-Apple laptops).
Could the Mac Mini replace your laptop?
A pocket-sized Mac Mini presents an interesting question: if a desktop PC is small enough to carry around in your bag or pocket, can it replace your laptop? You could simply unplug your Mac Mini from your home office monitor, tuck it in your backpack, and plug it in at your desk in the office.
Of course, the Mac Mini doesn't have its own display, keyboard, or mouse like a laptop. You would need to dock it to those peripherals to use it, unless you pair it with a portable monitor. However, if you mainly use your laptop like a desktop PC by docking it and connecting to an external monitor, the Mac Mini might be a reasonable replacement.
The Mini costs significantly less than most laptops. It currently starts at $499 while the MacBook Air starts at $899. The specs on the base models are almost identical, but the base Mac Mini has a slight advantage thanks to its 10-core GPU. So, there's a real possibility that an ultra-portable Mac Mini could be a better deal for many users.
We're not there just yet. The current Mac Mini is about the size and weight of a tablet (albeit, a square one). That's pretty portable, but something the size of the old GameBoy Advance SP would take the Mac Mini's portability to a whole new level. You could put your desktop PC in your jacket pocket and skip a laptop backpack altogether! We'll have to wait and see just how small the next Mac Mini is when it launches later this year, most likely in early November.
Laptop Mag will be covering all the latest news and updates on the upcoming Macs, so stay tuned for more details.
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