Abstract created by Good Solutions AI
In abstract:
- Macworld experiences that Apple’s 2026 Mac mini will characteristic M5 and M5 Professional chips, anticipated to launch in spring or at WWDC26 in June.
- The M5 chip presents 45% sooner GPU efficiency and three.5x faster AI duties in comparison with M4, with configurations as much as 16GB RAM and 2TB SSD.
- Pricing could begin round $599 like present fashions, although tariffs and change charges might enhance prices for the compact desktop Mac.
The Mac mini is a top-tier alternative for a variety of customers, from dwelling workplace employees to inventive professionals, due to its wonderful performance-to-price ratio and versatile, space-saving design. Following a big redesign in late 2024, the Mac mini grew to become smaller, sooner, and extra interesting than ever.
In the event you’re occupied with shopping for a Mac mini, you’re most likely questioning whether or not Apple is planning one other replace quickly, what new options may be coming to the 2026 Mac mini, and whether or not the corporate is more likely to persist with its low beginning worth of $599.
Apple final up to date the Mac mini in October 2024, introducing the M4 and M4 Professional chips alongside a dramatic redesign that shrank the enclosure to only 5 by 5 inches. The subsequent main replace, based mostly on Apple’s M5 chip era, isn’t anticipated till spring or summer time 2026.
Our advice is that except you particularly want the extra energy promised by the M5, now is an effective time to purchase — significantly with frequent reductions out there from third-party retailers and the Apple Refurbished Retailer. That stated, the M5 chip, which debuted within the MacBook Professional in October 2025, represents a notable shift in Apple silicon, with a stronger emphasis on graphics efficiency and on-device synthetic intelligence.
Learn on to seek out out every thing that may very well be coming within the 2026 Mac mini, together with the efficiency positive factors that may be anticipated from the M5 Mac mini, whether or not there will likely be an M5 Professional Mac mini, and if Apple will replace the opposite specs.
2026 Mac mini processor: Will the Mac mini have an M5 & M5 Professional?
- Anticipated to supply M5 and M5 Professional choices.
Apple has but to ascertain a constant improve cycle with the Apple Silicon Mac mini. Apple launched M1 and M2 variations however skipped the M3 and went with the M4. So, Apple isn’t afraid to skip a chip cycle with the Mac mini. Nevertheless, it seems like Apple isn’t going to skip the M5:
- In November 2025, Mark Gurman reported that Apple has the Mac mini on the 2026 launch schedule with M5 and M5 Professional chips.
- Then, in December 2025, MacRumors reported that references to the M5 and M5 Professional Mac mini appeared in a set of leaked Apple information.
The Apple M5 chip, which debuted in October 2025, represents a big shift in Apple silicon by prioritizing graphics efficiency and on-device synthetic intelligence. Whereas it maintains the 3-nanometer structure of its predecessor, it introduces a brand new GPU design that comes with devoted {hardware} for AI duties.
The brand new M5 chip could make its method into the Mac mini.
Apple
At a look: Anticipated processor enhancements
Key efficiency highlights of the M5 chip, as seen within the M5 MacBook Professional, embrace:
- Graphics: Within the MacBook Professional M5 the GPU delivers as much as 45% sooner efficiency than the M4 and is roughly 4x sooner in peak compute duties.
- AI Duties: As a result of new accelerators, sure AI capabilities—corresponding to picture era in apps like Draw Issues – could be as much as 3.5 occasions sooner than on the M4.
- Storage Velocity: The M5 structure helps considerably sooner SSD efficiency, with some exams of the M5 within the MacBook Professional displaying learn and write speeds practically doubling in comparison with the earlier era.
- CPU Output: Normal processing sees a extra iterative enhance, with single-core and multi-core scores rising by roughly 14% to 22% over the M4 in our MacBook Professional exams.
2026 Mac mini specs: Will the brand new Mac mini have higher specs?
- No modifications are anticipated in comparison with M4 Mac mini.
At a look: Anticipated specs
- From 16GB RAM (M5); 24GB RAM (M5 Professional)
- As much as 2TB SSD (M5); 8TB SSD (M5 Professional)
- Thunderbolt 4 (M5); Thunderbolt 5 (M5 Professional)
- Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.3
In October 2024, Apple upgraded the bottom unified reminiscence (RAM) for the Mac mini to 16GB, transferring away from the long-standing 8GB entry level. We anticipate that this 16GB baseline will proceed with the M5 fashions to assist multitasking and trendy AI workloads.
As with the present M4 fashions, the brand new 2026 Mac mini fashions are more likely to supply configurations as much as 32GB of RAM for the usual chip and better for the Professional variations (as much as 64GB RAM).
The SSD specs are additionally more likely to stay at 256GB SSD to 2TB SSD for the M5 mannequin, and as much as 8TB for the M5 Professional.
Simon Jary / Foundry
The M4 Mac mini has Thunderbolt 4, whereas the M4 Professional Mac mini has Thunderbolt 5. The MacBook Professional with M5 chip additionally options Thunderbolt 4, in order that’s what will likely be within the M5 Mac mini. Whereas specs on the M5 Professional haven’t been reported, it is going to probably have Thunderbolt 5.
The present Mac mini has Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.3. This didn’t change with the M5 MacBook Professional, so it seems like Apple won’t improve to Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 with the M5 Mac mini. This additionally implies that Apple won’t use its N1 wi-fi networking chip, which made its debut with the iPhone 17.
No experiences have been made about modifications to the internal workings of the Mac mini.
New Mac mini: Design
- No design modifications anticipated.
The M4 Mac mini underwent a big bodily redesign in October 2024, shrinking to a 5-by-5-inch enclosure. This design will likely be in place for a number of years to come back. The M5 replace is anticipated to deal with inside efficiency enhancements with no modifications to the bodily chassis.
No experiences have been made on whether or not Apple will supply new colours – so no House Grey Mac mini is probably going.
Anticipate the ports to stay the identical on the brand new Mac mini.
Foundry
At a look: Ports
The port choices are additionally anticipated to stay the identical because the M4 Mac mini:
- 2 entrance USB-C ports (supporting USB 3 at 10Gbps)
- Entrance 3.5mm audio jack
- 3 rear Thunderbolt ports
- HDMI port
- gigabit ethernet port (10Gb ethernet possibility out there)
New Mac mini: Worth
- No worth modifications rumored, however costs might go up on account of tariffs and change charge modifications.
Listed below are the costs for the present commonplace base configurations of the 2024 Mac mini for reference:
- $599/£599/CA$799/AU$999 M4, 16GB Unified Reminiscence, 256GB SSD
- $799/£799/CA$1,099/AU$1,299 M4, 16GB Unified Reminiscence, 512GB SSD
- $999/£999/CA$1,399/AU$1,599 M4, 24GB Unified Reminiscence, 512GB SSD
- $1,399/£1,399/CA$1,999/AU$2,199 M4 Professional, 24GB Unified Reminiscence, 512GB SSD
Pricing might go up due to the U.S. tariffs scenario – the elements are made abroad. The costs may be tailored to mirror change charges modifications world wide.
2026 Mac mini: Launch date
- Spring or WWDC launch (anticipated)
The Mac mini has had an erratic launch historical past. Apple has been by durations of updating the Mac mini yearly after which waited so long as 4 years. Switching from Intel to Apple Silicon didn’t create any consistency; the M1 Mac mini was round for 3 years earlier than it obtained its M2 improve. The Mac mini skipped the M3 and obtained an M4 improve (and a redesign) in November 2024.
Since laptops dominate Apple’s Mac gross sales, desktop Macs just like the Mac mini don’t are inclined to see constant annual upgrades. And with latest experiences of Apple performing some redesigns for its higher-end chips, it’s doable that we might see the Mac mini with the Professional chip see longer improve cycles sooner or later.
The M5 is out, nonetheless, and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that the M5 and M5 Professional Mac mini are on Apple’s product schedule for 2026. When in 2026 stays a query, although with the M6 anticipated within the second half of 2026, anticipate the M5 and M5 Professional Mac mini to be launched within the spring or, on the newest, at WWDC26 in June 2026.
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