Macworld
Apple has launched the new Mac mini for 2026.
It features either an M6 chip or an M5 Pro chip.
It will be available from 22 September and is available for pre-order now.
We are updating this story with the latest news.
The Mac mini remains one of Apple’s most compelling Macs, combining strong performance, a compact design, and an attractive starting price. Following its major redesign in late 2024, the desktop became smaller, faster, and more versatile than ever, featuring a dramatically reduced 5-by-5-inch footprint alongside Apple’s M4 and M4 Pro chips.
If you’re considering buying a Mac mini, you may be wondering whether a new model is on the horizon, what upgrades it could bring, and whether Apple will maintain its appealing entry-level pricing. The M5 chip debuted in October 2025, followed by the M5 Pro in the MacBook Pro lineup in March 2026, but the Mac mini has yet to be updated with Apple’s latest silicon. That wait may soon be over, however, with an August 25 report claiming a new Mac mini could launch “in the coming days.”
The new Mac mini has been a long time coming, but the delay is not surprising. Reports have pointed to ongoing supply-chain challenges, including component shortages and fluctuating availability of existing models, which may be contributing to delays in Apple’s refresh plans.
Below, we break down everything we expect from the 2026 Mac mini, including potential performance improvements, new configuration options, pricing expectations, and other key changes.
New Mac mini release date: Will Apple update the Mac mini soon?- New Mac mini could launch “in the coming days” – Gurman, August 25.
A Bloomberg report on August 25 indicated that sources had revealed that Apple is getting ready to launch the updated Mac mini and that it “will debut as soon as the coming days”. If the report is accurate, the new Mac mini could therefore arrive as soon as this week.
An August launch would allow Apple to introduce the Mac mini ahead of the company’s expected iPhone launch in early September.
It has been nearly two years since Apple launched the M4 Mac mini. The wait for an updated model comes amid ongoing supply constraints affecting parts of the current Mac mini lineup. Demand has remained strong, while shortages of key components have limited availability of some configurations in several markets.
Apple has acknowledged broader manufacturing challenges affecting its M-series chips and memory supply, with outgoing CEO Tim Cook indicating in a financial results call that these constraints are likely to continue for several months.
The current Mac mini lineup has already felt the impact. Apple discontinued the entry-level 256GB model, effectively increasing the starting price, while some higher-memory variants have become difficult to find or have disappeared from sale entirely. Shipping estimates for remaining models have also lengthened significantly in some regions.
At the same time, the Mac mini’s popularity has continued to grow, particularly among developers and enthusiasts running local AI workloads. Its compact design, unified memory architecture, and relatively affordable price have made it an attractive platform for local LLM development, further contributing to inventory shortages.
Supply constraints do not necessarily indicate that a hardware refresh is imminent, but dwindling stock and extended shipping times have sometimes preceded Apple product updates. With Apple having already introduced M5, M5 Pro, and M5 Max chips elsewhere in the Mac lineup, the Mac mini remains one of the most notable Macs still awaiting a new generation of Apple silicon.
The August 25 Bloomberg report strengthens the case for an imminent refresh.
New Mac mini: M6 and M5 Pro chips explained- The new Mac mini will ship M6 and M5 Pro chips
The new M6 chip may make its way into the Mac mini.
Apple
There is some uncertainty as to whether Apple will equip the new Mac mini with an M5-series chip, an M6 chip, or a combination of the two across different configurations.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in a July report, Apple plans to update the base Mac mini with an M6 chips, and the higher-end model with an M5 Pro. This is a change from the previously reported M5 and M5 Pro update; Apple recently decided to forego M6 Pro and M6 Max development in favor of the M7 chip. Gurman had previously reported that Apple planned to release Mac mini models powered by M5 and M5 Pro chips.
Should the next Mac mini ship with an M6 chip it could become one of Apple’s biggest AI upgrades yet thanks to that chip’s expected focus on machine learning and neural processing. In recent releases, Apple has been seen to be prioritizing AI performance improvements far more heavily than raw CPU gains, with faster local image generation, improved large language model performance, and better support for on-device AI tools. That could make the next Mac mini especially appealing to developers, creators, and power users experimenting with AI workloads without relying on cloud services.
New Mac mini specs: Will the new Mac mini have better specs and configurations?- Faster 512GB SSD as standard
- Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) and Bluetooth 6 possible
Simon Jary / Foundry
Apple is not expected to redesign the Mac mini again in 2026, so the new models will likely keep the compact 5-by-5-inch chassis introduced with the M4 generation. Most of the expected changes focus on connectivity, storage, and memory.
Apple increased the base memory of the Mac mini to 16GB with the M4 generation in late 2024, and that will almost certainly continue with the new models as AI features and multitasking demand more RAM. The standard M6 Mac mini is expected to start with 16GB of unified memory, while the M5 Pro model could start at 24GB and offer higher-end configurations beyond that, depending on ongoing global memory shortages.
Storage is also expected to improve. Apple discontinued the 256GB Mac mini in May 2026, making 512GB SSD the new entry-level configuration. That strongly suggests the new Mac mini will start with a faster 512GB SSD as standard. Higher-end configurations are likely to continue offering up to 4TB storage on the standard model and up to 8TB on the Pro version.
Connectivity upgrades are also likely. The current M4 Mac mini supports Thunderbolt 4, while the M4 Pro already includes Thunderbolt 5. The new Mac mini is expected to keep Thunderbolt 4, while the M5 Pro model will likely continue to offer Thunderbolt 5 for faster external storage and display support.
Wireless connectivity could also receive a major upgrade. Apple added Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 to several Macs in early 2026, making those technologies likely additions to the next Mac mini lineup.
At a glance: Expected specs
- 16GB unified memory standard
- 512GB SSD standard
- Up to 4TB SSD (Mac mini) / 8TB SSD (Mac mini Pro)
- Thunderbolt 4 (Mac mini)
- Thunderbolt 5 (Mac mini Pro)
- Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)
- Bluetooth 6
- No design changes expected.
Expect the ports to remain the same on the new Mac mini.
Foundry
The M4 Mac mini underwent a significant physical redesign in October 2024, shrinking to a 5-by-5-inch enclosure. This design will be in place for several years to come. The update is anticipated to focus on internal performance enhancements with no changes to the physical chassis.
No reports indicate that Apple will offer new colors – so a Space Gray Mac mini is unlikely.
New Mac mini: PortsThe port offerings are also expected to remain the same as the M4 Mac mini:
- 2 front USB-C ports (supporting USB 3 at 10Gbps)
- Front 3.5mm audio jack
- 3 rear Thunderbolt ports
- HDMI port
- Gigabit ethernet port (10Gb ethernet option available)
- Apple increased prices of the Mac mini and other Macs in June.
- No further price increases are expected.
In June 2026 Apple raised the starting price of the Mac mini by $200, from $599 to $799. This was part of a broader price hike across Apple’s entire Mac lineup, which Apple attributed to an unprecedented rise in component costs, particularly RAM.
Here’s a breakdown of the key price changes for the Mac mini:
- M4, 16GB unified memory, 256GB SSD – WAS $599/£599 – NOW $799/£799
- M4, 16GB unified memory, 512GB SSD – WAS $799/£799 – NOW $999/£999
- M4, 24GB unified memory, 512GB SSD – WAS $999/£999 – NOW $1,199/£1,199
- M4 Pro, 24GB unified memory, 512GB SSD – WAS $1,399/£1,399 – NOW $1,599/£1,599
Looking ahead, the available information suggests these higher prices are likely to stick. The global RAM shortage that drove the increases is not expected to ease until at least 2028.
The only reason why prices may change is that Apple is manufacturing the new Mac mini in the U.S. It’s just not clear if that would positively or negatively affect pricing.
Should you wait to buy the Mac mini?Availability remains limited and with a new model expected soon we would recommend waiting.
Under normal circumstances, we would also suggest looking for discounts on existing models or considering Apple Certified Refurbished options. Unfortunately, ongoing supply shortages mean that stock is currently limited across both new and refurbished Mac mini configurations.
For more guidance, read: Should you buy a Mac mini now or wait?
Considering an alternative? Read our Best Mac buying guide.
Factors affecting availability of the Mac miniThe Mac mini’s current supply constraints and unusually high demand could significantly affect the launch timing and availability of new models. Limited manufacturing capacity for Apple’s advanced M-series chips, combined with global RAM shortages, may restrict Apple’s ability to produce enough next-generation Mac minis at launch, potentially delaying the release until supply stabilizes. At the same time, strong demand from AI developers and businesses using the Mac mini as a compact AI server is rapidly depleting existing inventory, complicating Apple’s transition between generations. While dwindling stock levels can sometimes indicate that a refresh is imminent, the broader component shortages affecting the industry could just as easily reduce launch availability or delay the M6 Mac mini altogether.
Global supply constraints
As of May 2026, the Mac mini is facing significant supply shortages, with low stock at retailers and some configurations disappearing from Apple’s online store. The main issue is limited manufacturing capacity for Apple’s advanced M-series chips, which Tim Cook recently described as the primary bottleneck. A wider global memory shortage has added further pressure, particularly for higher-RAM models, as AI data centers compete for the same components. Rising production costs have also pushed Apple to discontinue the $599 base model, steering buyers toward more expensive configurations.
High demand due to popularity of Mac mini for AI
At the same time, demand for the Mac mini has surged because of its growing popularity as a compact AI server. Developers and companies are increasingly using it to run local AI agents and large language models (LLMs), leading to temporary sell-outs at major retailers. The Mac mini has long been popular as Apple’s most affordable and versatile desktop, but its combination of Apple silicon, unified memory architecture, compact size, and energy efficiency has made it especially attractive for AI workloads and 24/7 local AI setups.
The Mac mini’s unified memory architecture allows the CPU and GPU to share the same memory pool, improving performance for AI tasks compared to traditional PCs with separate RAM and VRAM. Combined with its small footprint and relatively low starting price, it offers an accessible entry point for AI development. However, there are trade-offs: memory and storage cannot be upgraded after purchase, higher RAM configurations are recommended for serious AI work, and users must supply their own monitor and peripherals. Some analysts also believe the limited availability could indicate Apple is preparing updated hardware, although supply issues may have delayed the expected M6 Mac mini launch until later in 2026 or in early 2027.