Apple finally makes owning a Mac a lot more affordable with a 'mighty' update

By David Snelling, Technology Editor

New Mac Mini launches next week (Image: APPLE)

The mini has always been a very neat and slimline addition to your desk but this new model improves things further with a design that's just 5 by 5 inches in size - it's almost as small as an Apple TV.

It's still covered in silver aluminium and offers the usual premium finish you'd expect from a Mac.

However, unlike the older models - which had no ports on the front - the company has also now added two USB-C sockets on the face of the Mac mini which makes plugging in accessories far more simple as there's no longer any need to fumble around the back trying to find the right slot. As you can read in our Mac mini M2 review, that's a feature Apple was criticised for not including in the past.

The new Mac mini M4 is super powerful (Image: APPLE)

New Mac mini M4 (Image: APPLE)

Hit the power button and you'll fire up the latest M4 or M4 Pro chips which make the new mini much faster than previous models.

Apple reckons spreadsheet calculations can be performed four times quicker than before and video editing is up to 9.4 times faster.

Of course, all that power means it's also ready for the Apple Intelligence update which will arrive later in the year and help write your emails, find files faster and retouch your photos automatically.

Other features include three Thunderbolt 4 ports on the rear (three Thunderbolt 5 ports if you upgrade to the M4 Pro model) plus there is Gigabit Ethernet for speedy broadband and an HDMI port for easy connection to a TV or HDMI display.

The new M4 Mac mini can support up to two 6K displays and up to one 5K display, and with M4 Pro, it can support up to three 6K displays at 60Hz for a total of over 60 million pixels.

So what about that all-important price? Apple says things will start from start from just £599. It can be pre-ordered now and starts shipping next week

“The new Mac mini delivers gigantic performance in an unbelievably small design thanks to the power efficiency of Apple silicon and an innovative new thermal architecture,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering.

“Combined with the performance of M4 and the new M4 Pro chip, enhanced connectivity on both the front and back, and the arrival of Apple Intelligence, Mac mini is more capable and versatile than ever, and there is nothing else like it.”

This new Mac mini now joins the M4-powered iMac which was announced earlier this week.