Skip to main content

Mac Mini to get M2 and M2 Pro chips, new report claims

Apple’s compact Mac Mini desktop could be about to get a major boost.

The tech giant’s portable PC will get a refresh with two different versions featuring Apple’s highly efficient “M” family of chips, according to a report from 9to5Mac on Wednesday, March 9.

Citing unnamed sources with knowledge of the matter, the Mac specialist said the lower-priced Mac Mini will feature Apple’s upcoming M2 chip, while the higher-end device will use a more powerful M2 Pro chip.

While some observers thought Apple might announce the M2 at its Peek Performance event earlier this week, its absence suggests the tech giant will showcase the new chip in the fall, probably along with the new Mac Mini.

We don’t yet know a great deal about the M2, though the usually reliable Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman has said the new chip will likely have eight CPU cores offering higher performance than the eight cores found on Apple’s first M chip, the M1, which launched in 2020 and is found in the current Mac Mini.

Gurman also says that while the M1 launched with either seven or eight GPU cores, he thinks the M2 will sport nine or 10, adding even more power to the machine.

As for the M2 Pro, 9to5Mac describes it as “a variant with eight performance cores and four efficiency cores, totaling a 12-core CPU versus the 10-core CPU of the current M1 Pro.”

On Tuesday, Apple unveiled the Mac Studio, described by some as a souped-up Mac Mini that customers can configure with either the M1 Max chip (starting at $2,000) or the more advanced M1 Ultra (from $4,000).

While those prices will be out of reach for many interested customers, a refreshed Mac Mini with the new M2 chip could be a much more attractive proposition, with pricing for the M2 Mac Mini expected to start at around $700, which is what Apple’s most basic M1 model currently costs.

Apple’s first M chip, the M1, has been praised for its impressive performance and efficiency. It’s used by the current Mac Mini, the 24-inch iMac, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and some iPads. The M2 will likely to find its way into future models before too long.

Here’s more on what to expect with the Mac Mini 2022.

Editors' Recommendations

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Waiting for the M3 iMac? We’ve got bad news for Apple fans
Man using a 24-inch M1 iMac.

If you’ve been holding out for Apple to launch a refreshed iMac, there’s some bad news: it might not launch until late 2023 or early 2024. If correct, that could mean disappointment for anyone who has been waiting for Apple’s all-in-one computer to get upgraded to the latest and greatest chips.

The news comes from Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman (via MacRumors), whose track record for Apple leaks is one of the best in the biz. In his Power On newsletter, Gurman explained that he has not seen any indication that a new version of the iMac is imminent. “So if you want to stick with the iMac,” he added, “you'll just have to sit tight.”

Read more
MacBook Pro M2 Pro/M2 Max buying guide: how to make the right choice
The MacBook Pro open on a wooden table.

Apple's MacBook Pro has emerged as among the best laptops you can buy in the 14-inch laptop and 16-inch laptop spaces. The newest versions have been upgraded to Apple's M2 Pro and M2 Max CPUs, which build on the original with more cores, faster speeds, and even better efficiency.

The laptops are highly configurable, at least when it comes to the CPU, GPU, RAM, and storage, and so you have some choices to make when selecting your machine. This guide will go over some of the more salient points to help you make the best decision.
Large or small?

Read more
The Mac Pro just got absolutely thrashed by the Mac mini
Someone editing photos on the M2 Mac Mini.

Apple’s Mac Pro is in a bit of a sorry state right now. Not only is it sorely lacking in updates, but a new video from YouTube channel Max Tech has compared it to the new M2 Pro Mac mini -- and it’s not pleasant viewing for Mac Pro fans.

That’s because almost every test was a cakewalk for the Mac mini, as it beat the Mac Pro in everything from video exporting to Xcode compiling. Even in the few tests where the Mac Pro was able to pull ahead, things were far closer than you would expect.

Read more