The new Mac mini is coming to chase away the iPhone 16 blues

All in all, Apple’s Glowtime event earlier this month was mildly disappointing. The new iPhones are yet another cautious iteration on a product with nowhere interesting left to go; the new AirPods didn’t do the one thing we were all excited about (dropping the price below $100); the ‘updated’ AirPods Max are a bad joke; and the rumored iPad mini didn’t appear at all. I will admit that I like the look of the redesigned Apple Watch, but it remains a comparatively niche product and I’m not convinced its changes will make a huge difference to the user experience anyway.

But that’s okay, because Apple has never felt it necessary to space out its launch events in a sensible fashion. We get one event most springs; we get one event (WWDC) each summer; and in the fall, we get anywhere from one to a frankly insane three. And most pundits reckon another Apple event, and a chance for the company to make amends for the tedium of September, will happen as soon as next month.

The main reason for that expectation is the fact that loads of rumored products still need to be announced. The aforementioned iPad mini, of course (plus likely the 11th-gen iPad), but also new versions of several important Mac lines. And the one that could turn the October event into a genuine extravaganza—the kind of extravaganza that Glowtime was not—is the new Mac mini.

According to credible sources, the mini is about to get a major physical revamp, finally shelving the design first unveiled back in 2010. It’ll be significantly smaller, which means more free desk space, less clutter, and a possible future for the Mac mini as a portable workstation. So it’s got the external refresh covered, like the Apple Watch Series 10.

But Apple reportedly won’t neglect the interior either, with the mini expected to be at the forefront of the M4 rollout. That’s a chip which has already debuted on the iPad Pro, but doesn’t currently feature in any Macs… so at launch, the Mac mini will be as well equipped as any of its more expensive siblings. (Well, in terms of chip generation, anyway. While the mini gets M4 or M4 Pro, the higher-end Macs will presumably get access to Max and even Ultra imprints of the chip, as well as more RAM.) With a jump from M2 on the previous model (and with many owners still running Intel-based machines), the 2024 Mac mini will offer users an appreciable bump in performance to go with its revamped exterior.

Finally, the Mac mini will be just as much a part of the Apple Intelligence story as the iPhone 16. (A story, note, that the Apple Watch Series 10 has been written out of.) The new mini will be comfortably powerful enough to cope with AI’s processing demands, and thanks to its relatively low price tag it will be crucial in driving widespread participation in the project. If you want to see what Apple Intelligence can do, the new Mac mini will be one of the best ways to find out.

The problem with the Mac mini, of course, is precisely what most of us like about it: that affordable price tag. The low(ish) price means a low(ish) profit margin, and a need to make compromises in terms of design and specs; both are liable to make the mini unappealing as the focal point of a presentation. So the device, ironically, may not be the centerpiece of the event it will elevate by its presence, sidelined perhaps in favor of a new Mac Studio with a familiar design and an alarmingly high price.

Nevertheless, the products that make the most difference are the ones that are accessible for the most people–a principle which Apple used to hold dear. So whether it’s first on stage, held back for One More Thing, or marooned in a graveyard slot somewhere in between, the new Mac mini sounds like exactly the sort of meaningful upgrade we missed this month.

Assuming, that is, the rumors are accurate. (They usually are, these days, but you can never be sure.) On reflection, perhaps we should temper our excitement. As I was always told, expect nothing, and you’ll never be disappointed.

Our weekly Apple Breakfast column includes all the Apple news you missed last week in a handy bite-sized roundup. We call it Apple Breakfast because we think it goes great with a Monday morning cup of coffee or tea, but it’s cool if you want to give it a read during lunch or dinner hours too.

Trending: Top stories

The ‘new’ AirPods Max are another lazy Apple update no one wants.

Michael Simon explains why he’s switching from an iPhone 15 Pro Max to an iPhone 16 Plus.

iOS 18 is missing more than just Apple Intelligence, reckons Dan Moren.

The iPhone 16 isn’t the Google Pixel killer I was hoping for, laments Mahmoud Itani.

The iPhone 16 is doomed and it’s all Apple Intelligence’s fault.

iOS 18: All the little details and hidden features you won’t want to miss.

We present 6 reasons why you need to upgrade to macOS Sequoia.

Apple may soon make at least some chips in the United States.

Podcast of the week

New major releases of Apple’s operating systems are available, but should you even bother? We talk about iOS 18, macOS Sequoia, watchOS 11, and why you should update now or wait, in the latest episode of the Macworld Podcast!

You can catch every episode of the Macworld Podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud, the Podcasts app, or our own site.

Reviews corner

• iPhone 16 and 16 Pro review roundup: Back to basics.
• Apple Watch Series 10 review roundup: A slimmer Ultra 2.
• Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 review: Great-sounding headphones that support aptX.
• iOS 18 vs iOS 17: What’s different with the latest iPhone update?

The rumor mill

The fall Mac event will feature M4 MacBooks and a redesigned Mac mini.

Talking of which… New 5-port Mac mini spotted in Apple’s macOS 15 code.

A plastic Apple Watch SE is still coming next year.

Software updates, bugs, and problems

PSA: Link-sharing bug in iOS 18 Messages can cause iPhone crashes, data loss.

iPadOS 18 update pulled after bricking M4 iPad Pro.

Apple releases security updates for macOS Sonoma and Ventura.

Apple releases iOS and iPadOS 17.7 with important security fixes.

Apple updates iOS 18 firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4.

And with that, we’re done for this week’s Apple Breakfast. If you’d like to get regular roundups, sign up for our newsletters. You can also follow us on Facebook, Threads, or Twitter for discussion of breaking Apple news stories. See you next Monday, and stay Appley.