Apple, in its second round of Mac announcements this week, ahead of Diwali 2024, unveiled the Mac mini powered by the M4 series chipset. This is a completely redesigned Mac mini with an all-new form factor, which is much smaller than the last generation model featuring the previous chipset. Apple says it measures just five by five inches and delivers up to 1.8 times faster CPU and 2.2 times faster GPU performance compared to the M1 model.
This time around, the Mac mini comes with 16GB of RAM as standard, just like the iMac M4 released yesterday. All of this is offered at the same price as the outgoing model, providing significantly better value for money. Here’s everything you need to know about the Mac mini with the M4 chipset, including its price and availability.
Also Read: Apple AirPods Pro 2 get Hearing Aid feature and more with iOS 18.1
Apple Mac mini M4: Price in India, Availability
Apple has launched the Mac mini at the same price as the outgoing model, which is ₹59,900. This model includes 16GB of RAM and 256GB of onboard storage. Pre-orders are already open, and it will be available starting 8 November in India. It is available in only one colour, silver.
Also Read: Diwali 2024: 7 Essential tips for stunning smartphone photography you can’t miss!
Apple Mac mini M4: Specifications and Features
This new model is less than half the size of the previous version, coming in at just five by five inches, taking up less space on your desk. Additionally, it offers better power efficiency and features a new thermal architecture with venting done through the system’s base.
As for specifications, the Mac mini M4 comes with the M4 chipset and also offers an M4 Pro option. The M4 has a 10-core CPU and a 10-core GPU, along with 16GB of unified memory. For more intensive workflows, Apple offers the M4 Pro option, featuring up to 14 CPU cores and 20 GPU cores. Apple says the M4 Pro GPU is twice as powerful as the GPU in the M4, and both chipsets support ray tracing, making it available on the top model for the first time ever. Apple states that compared to the best-selling PC desktop in this price range, the Mac mini is up to six times faster, despite being just one-twentieth the size.
The M4 Pro version can be equipped with up to 64GB of memory, which runs at 273 gigabytes per second. The M4 Pro also supports Thunderbolt 5, allowing data transfer speeds of up to 420 gigabytes per second—double the throughput of Thunderbolt 4.
In terms of I/O, the front of the Mac mini features two USB-C ports that support USB 3 and an audio jack compatible with high-fidelity headphones. On the back, the ports differ depending on the model: the M4 model includes three Thunderbolt 4 ports, while the M4 Pro model includes three Thunderbolt 5 ports. Both models come with Gigabit Ethernet support and have an HDMI port for connecting a monitor or TV.
Display support also varies between models: the M4 model supports up to two 6K displays and one 5K display, whereas the M4 Pro can support up to three 6K displays at 60Hz.
Apple’s new Mac mini includes Apple intelligence launched yesterday. Currently, these features are limited to writing tools, notification summaries, text summarisation, and a redesigned Siri experience. In December, Apple plans to roll out additional features like Image Playground, Jenmoji, and more, with ChatGPT integration coming to Siri and writing tools soon.
Apple has also taken significant steps towards its goal of carbon neutrality. The Mac mini with the M4 chipset is Apple’s first carbon-neutral Mac. It is made from 50% recyclable content, including 100% recycled aluminium, gold plating on Apple-designed printed circuit boards, and 100% recycled rare earth materials in all the magnets. Apple has also used 100% renewable energy to manufacture the Mac mini.
Also Read: Google Pixel 11 could get Pixel 4’s face unlock tech, bringing iPhone 16-like Face ID: Report