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Apple is likely to skip an M3 version of the Mac mini in favor of a bigger update with M4 chips toward the end of the year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explained that he does not expect Apple to refresh the ‌Mac mini‌ with M3 chips. Apple last updated the ‌Mac mini‌ with the M2 and ‌M2‌ Pro chips in January 2023. Other new features included two extra Thunderbolt 4 ports and an HDMI 2.1 port for ‌M2‌ Pro configurations, Wi-Fi 6E support with a compatible router, and Bluetooth 5.3. Gurman previously said that Apple is planning to release new ‌Mac mini‌ models with M4 and M4 Pro chips "between the end of 2024 and early 2025." Now, he has clarified that with new Mac minis arriving as soon as the end of the year, there is not sufficient "room for M3 models to come out before then, so it's probably safe to say that those Mac desktops will skip the M3 generation." Such a move would not be unprecedented since the iMac skipped the ‌M2‌ chip entirely, holding off until a bigger performance bump with the M3 chip late last year. With the M4 chip series, the ‌Mac mini‌ should get a significant CPU performance improvement compared to the existing models with the ‌M2‌ series. The M4 chips are also rumored to have a faster Neural Engine for artificial intelligence tasks.Related Roundup: Mac miniTags: Bloomberg, Mark Gurman, M4 MacsBuyer's Guide: Mac Mini (Neutral)Related Forum: Mac mini This article, "Apple Likely Planning to Skip M3 Mac Mini for M4 Refresh in Late 2024" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

The date has finally been set for Apple’s annual announcement event WWDC, and we expect some new AI announcements alongside software refreshes like macOS Sonoma updates and a peak at iOS 18. While that’s all pretty exciting, I’m not interested in any of that! What I want to see is an M3 Mac mini - in pink. Now, I know right off the back that sound’s a little outlandish. Asking for an M3 Mac mini seems pretty reasonable to me, though - I mean, Apple launched the M2 Mac mini last year in January, so it’ll be almost a year and a half by the time WWDC kicks off on June 10, 2024. The MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and iMac have been updated with the M3 chip, so it’s about time the Mac mini got the same treatment. The M3 chip was announced at Apple’s Scary Fast event last October and has proven to be the best processor Apple has put out so far. The system-on-a-chip (SoC) has the same 8-core CPU architecture as the M2 chip but offers better performance thanks to the increased number of transistors on the chip. Multi-core CPU tests were up 18%, which bodes well for people who need a laptop that can handle hefty video-rendering tasks without breaking a sweat. Prettier in pink I use an M1 Mac mini almost every day for work or my own writing and online shopping (lots of online shopping), and I’ve been waiting for the Mac mini to not just get an updated chip but to join the iMac in getting some more colorful designs. I adore the colors of the iMac, but I could never commit to buying one of the best all-in-one’s with the current size of my desktop setup at home. The Mac mini is the perfect size for me and honestly looks super cute - just imagine how much cuter it could be if it came in color! Mac mini’s are so versatile and used by all sorts of creative people like movie makers, musicians, artists, and more. I think adding a splash of color would lend the same uniqueness and ‘icon’ status that iMac already enjoys. Out of the two, the iMac has more of a market share than the Mac mini, and having an interesting design change could be a start for making the Mac mini more popular. Apple wouldn’t even need to start with a whole new color palette - the colors of the iMac are perfect as they are and could easily be transferred over to the mini PCs! The pink iMac is my absolute favorite, and I can’t even imagine how adorable it would be to have a pastel pink Mac mini on my desk. But setting my Barbie-themed computing dreams aside, I do really hope we see the Mac mini get an M3 refresh. You might also like... Apple Maps on iPhone could soon get a useful hiking feature from the Apple WatchiOS 18: rumored features, predicted release date, and everything we want to seeThe Magic Mouse could get a fascinating reboot, according to Apple's new ideas View the full article