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It's official: the second edition of Apple for the fall of 2018 has been confirmed for October 30 in Brooklyn, New York. According to rumors, Apple will talk about a new iPad Pro and a MacBook, but another device could also attract attention: the Mac mini.
If this surprises you a bit, it's a good reason. It's been several years since the Mac mini was updated and Apple rarely mentioned the small desktop, although Tim Cook said a year ago: "Our customers have found many creative and interesting uses for Mac mini. While it is not time to share details, we expect Mac mini to become an important part of our product line. "
Reports now indicate that the time has finally come to upgrade. Here is what we know and suspect about a Mac mini potential to reveal at the end of October.
A new processor
Some sort of CPU upgrade is an obvious choice for the now-obsolete Mac mini, and last July's rumors indicated that the mini might get a boost this year.
But what new processors are we talking about? Four generations of Intel Core processors have followed one another since the last update of the Mac mini. The current model runs on dual Core i5 or Core i7 processors. We expect that Apple will update its processors to Core i5-8400 second-generation processors and Core i7-8700, two six-core processors. The ninth-generation desktop chips are just starting to be marketed by Intel, but the powerful K Series processors are out of the question.
In the field of pure speculation, the Core i5-8305G and Core i7-8809G could be another possibility. These are Intel / AMD hybrid units that include AMD Radeon RX Vega graphics integrated into a quad-core Intel processor. It is an expensive chip designed for miniaturized PCs like Intel NUC. This would turn the Mac mini into a more powerful content and game creation tool, which brings us to our next point.
Switch to a Pro model
Rumors and leaks have suggested the possibility that Apple reorganizes the mini into a mini Pro model intended primarily for professionals wanting to keep their screen and their accessories, but opting for a more powerful model.
In this case, Apple would not only update the processor, but also expand the storage options. A Mac mini Pro would also need to add more user-friendly features to the unit, which would likely sell it at a higher price than the current Mac mini at $ 500. This theoretical mini-projector would fit well with Apple's other October goal, the iPad Pro, as the professional bookends for this event.
Since the mini has found its way into network configurations and enterprise data storage, it would be logical for many of these new features to focus on server and network management, allowing it to integrate into many different data configurations within a number of companies.
SSD hard drive
This one is practically a shoe.
The current Mac mini shows its age with options for a hard drive, SSD or merge combination. This was a more common offering a few years ago, but the market is now more oriented towards SSD options. We expect that a new mini launcher with SSD-only storage, probably offered up to 2 TB or more. It's a simple, smart move that many other Mac devices, including the iMac Pro and Mac Pro.
Ports updated
Suppose Apple recognizes the new role of the mini at the office and focuses more on Pro users. It is therefore much more likely that the new model comes with additional ports, including USB-C / Thunderbolt 3 and additional Ethernet ports. This would make it more useful for data management in professional situations – and more versatile overall.
But is the mini still an entertainment device? In the end, what Apple decides will probably determine whether the HDMI port will remain or not. The entertainment has changed a lot in the last four or five years, leaving Apple in a difficult position as to how to position the Mac mini.
If Apple decides that the mini is more at home with tasks at the workplace, it can remove the HDMI for the benefit of other "Pro" connections. But if the mini still has a future as an entertainment device – perhaps as a versatile cousin of the Apple TV -, HDMI will undoubtedly remain. If this is the case, Apple must also upgrade video support to 4K format as well.
It is also possible that Apple is reducing its ports to USB-C and Thunderbolt 3, like its MacBook Pro.
Cooled design
We've heard some rumors about what a new Mac mini might look like, but very little about its physical appearance. The Mac mini is known to be small, although the definition of small has changed quite rapidly in recent years. Compact computers that can be attached to the back of the monitors or fit into your keychain are everywhere you look, and a new Mac mini should take into account the changing context with its size and design.
In terms of materials, it's also in the air. Interestingly, Apple still manufactures new Mac minicomputers, but only in limited versions. The company uses exclusively recycled aluminum from iPhone cases to create Mac minicomputers for use solely on Apple's premises. That does not say much about what Apple could publish in October, except that recycled materials could be part of it, but it's an example of how Apple still uses the mini even in its own architecture of data.
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