Apple unveiled a new Mac Mini powered by its first chip manufactured on a 2-nanometer (nm) process.
The company introduced the new Mac Mini, an on-device AI desktop focused on running AI agents, and began taking preorders on the 25th local time. It comes about two years after the previous model with the M4 chip debuted in October 2024. The official release is set for the 22nd of next month.
The compact computer, measuring 5 inches (about 12.7 cm) on each side, comes in two versions: one with the M6 chip, Apple's first chip built on a 2-nm process, and another with the M5 Pro chip. The M6 chip features a 12-core central processing unit (CPU) and graphics processing unit (GPU). Apple said the chip delivers "the world's fastest single-thread performance," stressing that it boosts AI performance by up to four times compared with earlier models.
The Mac Studio, a high-performance desktop for professionals, was also unveiled with new models featuring the M5 Max and M5 Ultra. The M5 Ultra model supports up to a 36-core CPU and an 80-core GPU, allowing it to run top-tier AI models even in a desktop environment. Connecting four of the devices triples AI inference performance compared with a single system, making it possible to use them like an AI server.
The Mac Mini launched in 2024 with a starting price of $599 and won high marks for performance that outstripped comparably priced PCs. This time, however, the new model's price rose somewhat as a memory chip shortage deepened amid the AI boom. In May, Apple eliminated the existing $599 base configuration and raised the Mac Mini's starting price to $799. With the new model, the starting price has been raised to $899.
The product launch came ahead of the departure of Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook. Cook will hand over the position to John Ternus, senior vice president of hardware engineering, early next month and step back to serve as chairman of the board. Apple will unveil new iPhones, including its first foldable model, on the 9th of next month.
