Imagined Mac Mini Redesign Argues Apple Should Borrow From Mac Studio

With the Mac mini's current design dating back over a decade, one MacRumors forums user has imagined what a redesign could look like if Apple were to take hints from the Mac Studio.


The idea mainly comes from MacRumors forums user "Rickroller," who shared basic images of the concept earlier today. They suggest that a Mac Studio-like design could bring significant thermal improvements to the ‌Mac mini‌ to enable better performance, and even add some simple quality-of-life enhancements such as front-facing USB-C ports and an SDXC card reader.

Leaker Jon Prosser shared renders of a complete redesign for the ‌Mac mini‌ in early 2021, thought to be destined for an M1 Pro or M2-series model. The design depicted a smaller chassis with a "plexiglass-like" top, but did not emerge with the latest M2 and ‌M2‌ Pro ‌Mac mini‌ models last year.


In 2022, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo warned that the next ‌Mac mini‌ models would have the same design as prior models. Looking to the future, Kuo again believes that the new ‌Mac mini‌ models in 2024 will have the exact same design as their predecessors.

The ‌Mac mini‌ currently features a silver aluminum unibody design that Apple introduced in 2010. It has used this design for every ‌Mac mini‌, other than offering a Space Gray colorway in 2018. By the time the next-generation ‌Mac mini‌ models launch in 2024, this design will be 14 years old – becoming the longest continuously used Apple design in the company's history.


Bloomberg's Mark Gurman recently suggested that Apple has no plans to update the Mac Studio with the ‌M2‌ Max and ‌M2‌ Ultra chips in the near future. The main reason for the decision seems to be the change in direction of the Apple silicon Mac Pro, which will now have the M2 Ultra chip as a top-tier option and offer limited modularity. Apple may leave the ‌Mac Studio‌ without a hardware refresh for some time and could even discontinue the product line, similar to 2017's iMac Pro, which served as a stop-gap device until the release of the 2019 ‌Mac Pro‌.



If the ‌Mac Studio‌ is indeed discontinued sometime in the next several years, a post-2024 ‌Mac mini‌ may be even more likely to adopt a Mac Studio-like design, since there would no longer be a risk of further cannibalizing the ‌Mac Studio‌ with a similar design. Apple often introduces new designs and features on its high-end devices before slowly trickling them down to other products in the lineup, such as the squared-off industrial design of the 2018 iPad Pro, which finally came to dominate the whole latest-generation iPad lineup upon the release of the 10th-generation ‌iPad‌ last year.

• Mac Mini vs. Mac Studio Buyer's Guide

What is in store for the ‌Mac mini‌'s design after 2024 is unclear and likely has not even have been firmly decided upon by Apple yet, but considering how long the company has stuck with the aluminum unibody design, a redesign sometime in 2025 or beyond is highly plausible.
This article, "Imagined Mac Mini Redesign Argues Apple Should Borrow From Mac Studio" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Apple May Not Launch Updated Mac Studio With M2 Ultra Chip Due to Similarity With Upcoming Mac Pro

A new version of the Mac Studio with the "M2 Ultra" chip is unlikely to arrive in the near future, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.


In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explained that since the upcoming Apple silicon Mac Pro is "very similar in functionality to the Mac Studio," Apple may wait until the release of M3- or M4-series chips to update the machine, or simply never refresh the device at all:

I wouldn't anticipate the introduction of a Mac Studio in the near future. The upcoming Mac Pro is very similar in functionality to the Mac Studio — and adds the M2 Ultra chip rather than the M1 Ultra. So it wouldn't make sense for Apple to offer an M2 Ultra Mac Studio and M2 Ultra Mac Pro at the same time. It's more likely that Apple either never updates the Mac Studio or holds off until the M3 or M4 generation. At that point, the company may be able to better differentiate the Mac Studio from the Mac Pro.

To date, little has been rumored about the next-generation Mac Studio, so Gurman's latest remarks are the firmest indication yet that a new version of the machine is unlikely to arrive any time soon.

Last month, it emerged that Apple reportedly scaled back its plans for the first Apple silicon Mac Pro, scrapping the "M2 Extreme" chip and falling back on non-user-upgradable memory and the same design as the 2019 model. The device is now expected to offer the M2 Ultra only – a chip that would also have logically come to the next-generation Mac Studio.

The M2 Ultra chip is almost certain to double-up the capabilities of the recently introduced M2 Max chip, which is currently only available in the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro. With reduced modularity and similar performance on the upcoming Mac Pro, Apple's move to hold off on updating the Mac Studio's hardware may make sense until it can work out a better strategy for the machine's positioning going forward.
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Apple Begins Selling Kensington's Mac Studio Locking Kit

Apple today began selling a Kensington locking kit for the Mac Studio with everything needed to secure the computer to a desk or other surface, including an adapter, a combination lock, and a braided carbon steel cable with a nylon cover.


Kensington says the kit was "designed specifically for Apple" and can be installed in minutes, with no tools or modifications necessary. The adapter attaches to a slot that Apple built into the bottom of the Mac Studio and does not block any ports on the back of the computer. The kit is available to order for $64.95 on Apple's online store.

Kensington is a well-known brand for laptop security locks. Apple included a slot for a Kensington lock on many MacBooks until the early 2010s, and it appears that the companies partnered again to offer a security solution for the Mac Studio.


Apple first released the Mac Studio in March 2022. The high-end desktop computer is available with M1 Max and M1 Ultra chip options.

Maclocks also sells a variety of Mac Studio security accessories.
This article, "Apple Begins Selling Kensington's Mac Studio Locking Kit" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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Mac Mini vs. Mac Studio Buyer's Guide

The Mac Studio debuted in 2022 as Apple's most powerful custom silicon standalone desktop computer. Now, with the launch of the latest Mac mini models, the ‌Mac Studio‌ faces a formidable competitor that offers "Pro" capabilities at a substantially lower price point.


The ‌Mac Studio‌ starts at $1,999, dwarfing the $599 starting price of the M2 ‌Mac mini‌ and even the $1,299 starting price of the ‌M2‌ Pro ‌Mac mini‌, so do you need the highest-end Apple silicon Mac, or is the humble ‌Mac mini‌ sufficient for your needs? Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two desktop Macs is best for you.

Comparing the Mac Mini and the Mac Studio

The ‌Mac mini‌ and the ‌Mac Studio‌ share some fundamental features, including a familiar, boxy silver aluminum design, Apple silicon chipsets, and two USB-A ports. That being said, the two machines have much more in contrast than they do in common, including different chip options, memory capacities, ports, and external display support capabilities.

Key Differences

Desktop Apple Silicon Chips Compared

In single-core tasks, the ‌M2‌ and ‌M2‌ Pro ‌Mac mini‌ models perform distinctly better than either of the ‌Mac Studio‌ configurations. In multi-core, the picture is less clear-cut. The ‌M2‌ ‌Mac mini‌ is less powerful than either of the ‌Mac Studio‌ models, but the ‌M2‌ Pro ‌Mac mini‌ is more powerful than the ‌M1 Max‌ ‌Mac Studio‌. The ‌M1 Ultra‌ ‌Mac Studio‌ remains the most powerful in multi-core tasks. In GPU tasks, the chips scale as one would expect, with progressively better performance through the ‌M2‌, ‌M2‌ Pro, ‌M1 Max‌, and ‌M1 Ultra‌. As such, users who need maximum GPU power should still buy the ‌Mac Studio‌ over the ‌Mac mini‌.

See the approximate Geekbench 5 scores for each ‌Mac mini‌ and ‌Mac Studio‌ below, including the scores for the now-discontinued M1 ‌Mac mini‌ for reference:




Unless you plan on buying the ‌M1 Ultra‌ ‌Mac Studio‌ with a focus on multi-core and GPU performance, the ‌M2‌ Pro ‌Mac mini‌ should be the best all-round choice in terms of performance for most users.

Memory

If you need more than 32GB of memory, the ‌Mac Studio‌ can provide greater quantities up to 128GB. Likewise, the ‌Mac mini‌'s memory bandwidth maxes out at 200GB/s memory bandwidth. The ‌Mac Studio‌, on the other hand, offers up to 400GB/s or 800GB/s memory bandwidth. As such, if you need extreme quantities of memory and a large amount of memory bandwidth for professional tasks, only the ‌Mac Studio‌ can meet these requirements. It is still worth noting that the ‌M2‌ Pro ‌Mac mini‌'s 32GB memory option, along with 200GB/s memory bandwidth, should be more than enough for most users.

Ports and External Display Support

The ‌Mac Studio‌ offers a more versatile selection of ports, with two extra Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports and a SDXC card slot compared to the ‌M2‌ Pro ‌Mac mini‌, which could be an important consideration for users with a lot of peripherals.

The ‌Mac mini‌ has an HDMI 2.1 port, meaning that it will be better for a small number of users who work with 8K and high refresh-rate external displays, but otherwise the ‌Mac Studio‌ offers better external display support.

Final Thoughts

To some extent, purchasing decisions should be driven by budget, but it is worth bearing in mind that any savings on the desktop computer itself can be put toward a good external display such as Apple's Studio Display, which starts from $1,599. For example, an ‌M2‌ Pro ‌Mac mini‌ paired with a Studio Display comes to $2,898, which is just $899 more than a lone base model ‌Mac Studio‌ and $1,101 less than the ‌M1 Ultra‌ ‌Mac Studio‌ with no display.




You should only consider the ‌Mac Studio‌ if you have a professional workflow that can leverage the extreme power of ‌M1 Ultra‌, as well as its additional ports and memory options. If you need the ‌Mac Studio‌, you will likely know that you are looking for a highly powerful machine that is capable of supporting specific intense workflows. Most customers should choose the ‌M2‌ Pro ‌Mac mini‌ over the ‌M1 Max‌ ‌Mac Studio‌, saving $700 when looking at the base models. There will likely still be substantial savings when it comes to custom configurations.
This article, "Mac Mini vs. Mac Studio Buyer's Guide" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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What's Next for the Mac: M3 iMac, 15-Inch MacBook Air, Mac Pro, and More

Apple last week announced a slate of new Macs, including an updated Mac mini with M2 and M2 Pro processors and faster 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros with the all-new M2 Pro and M2 Max chips.


With just modest updates, the new Macs have left some wondering if there is anything else in store for the Mac in 2023 and what's planned for the years to come. Below, we've outlined the latest rumors on what Macs Apple continues to work on for launch this year and what the company plans for the future.

MacBook Air

Apple last updated the MacBook Air with a new design and the M2 chip in June 2022. The updated MacBook Air features a 13.6-inch display, an overhauled design that does away with the previously iconic tapered chassis, and starts at $1,199.

For 2023, Apple is reportedly working on a larger 15-inch MacBook Air to join its Mac lineup. The new MacBook Air will feature the upcoming M3 chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The 15-inch MacBook Air is expected to feature the same design as the current 13.6-inch model but with a larger display and longer battery life thanks to the efficiency of the M3 chip and the inclusion of a larger battery.

Further down the line, an updated MacBook Air with an OLED display is expected to debut as soon as 2024, according to reliable display analyst Ross Young.

iMac

The last time the iMac saw an update was in April 2021, when Apple debuted a redesigned 24-inch model with the efficiency and power of the M1 chip in an array of seven colors. The 24-inch iMac with M1 is the second most outdated Mac after the Mac Pro currently in Apple's lineup, making it long overdue for an upgrade.

Gurman has reaffirmed in his latest Power On newsletter that Apple plans to update the iMac family with the M3 chip later this year, likely around the October or November timeframe, given past precedent. Gurman describes the M2 family of chips as a "stopgap" for Apple silicon and suggests Apple is waiting for the more advanced M3 chip, based on the 3nm process technology, before updating its all-in-one desktop computer.

Rumors have circulated that Apple is allegedly working on a 27-inch "iMac Pro" to join its current lineup, but Apple's plans remain unclear. The M3 iMac update expected later this year could be a direct follow-up to the 24-inch model currently in the lineup or a larger, more professional iMac. Apple announced an iMac Pro at WWDC in 2017, but it failed to be the success the company was hoping for and was ultimately discontinued in March 2021.

• Apple's Next iMac Pro: Everything We Know

Mac Pro

The most outdated and only remaining Intel-based Mac in Apple's lineup is the Mac Pro. The Mac Pro is the highest-end and most "powerful" Mac available, but with the transition to Apple silicon, the Mac Pro has taken a back seat in performance thanks to chips like the M1 Ultra in the Mac Studio.

Apple said the transition to Apple silicon would take around two years, and Apple missed the two-year mark in the summer and fall of last year. Nevertheless, Apple is reportedly preparing to announce its Apple silicon Mac Pro sometime this year. The updated Mac Pro will reportedly have the same design as the current model announced in 2019, according to Gurman, but will benefit from the performance of the M2 Ultra chip.

MacBook Pro and Mac Mini

The MacBook Pro and Mac mini were just updated, so don't expect updates this year. For 2024, however, Apple will bring the M3 Pro and M3 Max chips to the MacBook Pro, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In 2025, Apple will update the MacBook Pro with an OLED panel and, for the first time ever in a Mac, a touchscreen display, according to Gurman.

Apple is reportedly working on bringing a touchscreen to the Mac, years after dismissing the idea as unnecessary and impractical. Apple CEO Steve Jobs disapproved of a touchscreen Mac, and hardware engineering chief John Ternus said in 2021 the Mac was "totally optimized for indirect input" and that the company was not planning to change that. For the Mac mini, rumors suggest an updated model in 2024 will feature the same design as the current Mac mini.

Mac Studio

Apple announced the pro-oriented Mac Studio in March 2022 as the highest-end Mac desktop until the Apple silicon Mac Pro arrives. The Mac Studio can be configured with either M1 Max or M1 Ultra chips, offering users tremendous power. Apple can presumably be expected to announce an updated Mac Studio with M2 Max and M2 Ultra chips sometime this year, one year after it announced the current model. Having said that, we've heard no concrete rumors suggesting an update is planned, so we'll have to wait and see.
This article, "What's Next for the Mac: M3 iMac, 15-Inch MacBook Air, Mac Pro, and More" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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