Apple’s M1 Mac Mini could already get a redesign

Apple just posted an update M1 Mac Mini last November, corn it looks like we could see a high-end version with the rumored M1X chip somewhere this fall.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman notes in his bulletin that the the Intel Mac Mini will be be replaced in “the next few months”. Apple kept the Mini powered by Intel because the M1 version was supposed to function as an entry-level device. However, the Mac Mini is also a popular device for software development as well as video editing. For those power users, the M1 Mini was a bit frustrating, as it didn’t have so many ports.

For example, the M1 Mini networking options were limited when it launched. While you can get support for Wi-Fi 6, it was only available through an Ethernet port. Then Apple quietly updated the Mini after its Spring Loaded event earlier this year to include an optional 10-Gigabit Ethernet Port.

Besides a more powerful M1X chip – if that’s what Apple decides to name the successor to the M1 – the next Mini will also have many ports as well as an “updated design”. As to what this design will be, leaked Jon Prosser complaints it will have a “plexiglass top” and the same type of magnetic power port as the new iMacs (Prosser has a mixed record when it comes to Apple’s predictions, so take that with a grain of salt).

The great thing here is the timing. Rumors started circulating last week that Apple would hold again several launch events this fall. Next month, we will probably see the new iPhone 13 lineup, as well as new entry-level AirPods, a new iPad Mini, and the Apple Watch Series 7. However, the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBooks with M1X are expected to have their own event before at the end of November. If there are separate events, the new high-end Mac Mini will likely debut alongside them. Given that Gurman says the new Mac Mini will arrive in the next few months, it’s increasingly likely that we’ll see at least one Mac-centric event separate from the iPhone launch.