Mac mini gets a new version with M4 chips and a design smaller than a smartphone
On the second day of the Mac announcement marathon, Apple launched the Mac mini M4 on Tuesday (29), a revamped version of the mini PC that brings numerous improvements. Besides the reduced body—now almost smaller than a smartphone—the device features the M4 processor and the new M4 Pro, expanded RAM for better performance with the Apple Intelligence suite, and upgraded Thunderbolt 5 connectivity.
The new compact Mac also stands out for its redesigned look, occupying less desk space. It retains the aluminum build and classic box shape with rounded corners, but now measures only 12.7 x 12.7 cm, making it shorter than a smartphone—for example, the iPhone 16, which is 14.7 cm tall.
Comparing this release with the previous generation is impressive, as the 2023 model measured 19.7 x 19.7 cm. However, it’s worth noting that the Mac mini M4 is a bit thicker, going from its predecessor's 3.58 cm to 5 cm. While this difference isn’t drastic, it’s enough to consider if you plan to install it close to a wall or beneath a monitor.
The new design also led Apple to redesign the cooling system, which operates ingeniously, at least according to the animations shared by the company. It seems the motherboard has been split and stacked, with cool air pulled in from the front of the base, circulating through the device, and exiting at the rear.
New M4 and M4 Pro chips
Another major highlight of the Mac mini M4, as the name suggests, is the new Apple M4 chips, which debuted this year with the iPad Pro OLED. Manufactured by Taiwan’s TSMC on the 3 nm N3E process—the same used in the iPhone 16 Pro’s A18 Pro and the recent Snapdragon 8 Elite—the chip is powerful and efficient, ranking among the best in numerous benchmarks. This upgrade also includes a significant change for the base model, now equipped with 16 GB of RAM as standard.
There’s also a surprise: the M4 Pro, a more robust model aimed at professionals handling heavy tasks. This version has up to 14 CPU cores, comprising 10 high-performance cores and 4 efficiency cores, with up to 20 GPU cores—twice as many as the standard M4—and supports up to 64 GB of RAM with a bandwidth of 273 GB/s, nearly double that of the M3 Pro.
In practice, this solution is truly powerful and promises major leaps over the M2 line, as the Mac mini skipped the M3 generation. We’ll have to wait for reviews to see exactly how this chip performs, but Apple promises 3D rendering up to 2.9 times faster in Blender, animation rendering up to twice as fast in Motion, and 80% more audio plugins supported in Logic Pro compared to the M2 Pro.
Enhanced connectivity with Thunderbolt 5
In terms of both design and performance, Apple has boosted connectivity by adding, for the first time in the series, two USB-C 3.1 ports and a 3.5 mm audio jack on the front, along with a 10 Gb Ethernet port, HDMI, and three Thunderbolt 4 ports on the back of the M4 model. The M4 Pro version goes a step further by introducing Thunderbolt 5, surpassing its competitors.
With transfer speeds of 80 Gbps—compared to "just" 40 Gbps of the fourth generation—Thunderbolt 5 supports more demanding accessories like high-speed external SSDs and can combine three communication lanes to reach 120 Gbps. This allows you to connect one 4K monitor at 240 Hz, one 6K at 60 Hz, or three 6K monitors at 60 Hz.
This innovation makes a big impact considering that, so far, only one laptop—the Razer Blade 18 2024—has this new connection. Although there are Intel CPUs compatible with this protocol, adoption remains limited.
Rounding out the package are Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, a basic built-in speaker, full support for the new AI features of the Apple Intelligence suite, and SSD storage options ranging from 256 GB to 8 TB.
Pricing and availability
The new Mac mini is available for pre-order internationally starting this Tuesday (29), with availability expected on November 8. Suggested prices start at $599 (~R$3,450) for the M4 variant and $1,399 (~R$8,050) for the M4 Pro model.
The device is confirmed for release in Brazil. While there is no set availability date yet, prices start at R$7,499 for the M4 model and R$16,999 for the M4 Pro
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