Apple Inc is planning a new version of the Mac mini that will be its smallest desktop computer yet, part of a broader overhaul of the Mac line with AI-focused chips.

The new model - due later this year - will mark the first major design change to the mini since it was revamped under Steve Jobs in 2010, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The device will be far smaller than its predecessor, approaching the size of an Apple TV set-top box, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the work is secret. 

The updated mini is one of several new Macs coming over the next several months. The company is preparing versions of the iMac desktop and MacBook Pro with chips from the M4 line, also for as early as this year. There are MacBook Airs in development for the spring, and Mac Pro and Mac Studio models are planned for the middle of next year.

The mass upgrade to the M4 processor marks another milestone for Apple: It’s the first time the company is putting the same chip generation in all its Macs. The M4 silicon - already featured in the iPad Pro - is meant to power new artificial intelligence (AI) features that Apple is beginning to roll out later this year.

A spokesperson for Cupertino, California-based Apple declined to comment on the company’s plans.

Despite the smaller overall design, the new Mac mini may be taller than the current version. Today’s model is about 1.4 inches high. The updated edition will still feature an aluminium shell. 

The Apple TV box, meanwhile, is about 3.7 inches across - currently less than half the size of the Mac mini. 

Apple has tested models with at least three USB-C ports on the back of the mini, in addition to an area for plugging in the power cable and an HDMI port for connecting the device to TV sets and monitors.

People involved in the development of the new Mac mini say it’s essentially an iPad Pro in a small box - an approach that takes advantage of the lower power requirements of the company’s in-house silicon. The current Mac mini starts at US$599 , and while the new model may be cheaper to make, it’s unclear if the company will pass along any savings to the consumer.

Apple is preparing two versions of the new Mac mini, both of which are codenamed J773. The first will use the base configuration of the M4 chip, similar to the component inside of the iPad Pro. There will also be a higher-end Mac mini that uses a yet-to-be-announced M4 Pro chip. That component includes support for additional memory and more graphics horsepower.

Apple suppliers are planning to begin shipping units of the standard M4 version this month for release later in the year. Units with the higher-end M4 Pro won’t be ready for consumers until October. The Mac mini was last updated in early 2023 with M2 and M2 Pro chips. It gained the M1 chip in November 2020 as part of the first range of Macs with Apple silicon.

Apple’s shift to its own computer processors helped fuel sales and accelerated the pace of upgrades. But Mac demand has slowed since the pandemic, when consumers were racing to equip their home offices.

The category generated about US$7 billion in revenue last quarter, up 2.5% from a year earlier. 

  - Bloomberg