Apple's next-generation Mac mini may not feature M1 Pro and M1 Max chip options, contrary to rumors from over the past year, according to recent reports.
Apple has been believed to be working on a new Mac mini for some time. It updated the entry-level Mac mini with the M1 chip in November 2020, but the high-end offering is still the Space Gray model with an Intel processor from 2018. A recent report from 9to5Mac claimed that Apple originally "had plans" to introduce high-end versions of the Mac mini with M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, but these plans were "probably scrapped" in favor of the all-new Mac Studio.
A new Mac mini is purportedly still in the works, but it appears that Apple is skipping the M1 Pro and M1 Max to offer M2-series chips. Apple is allegedly working on two versions of the Mac mini, one with the standard "M2" chip and a second higher-end model with the "M2 Pro" chip.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman believes that the M2 chip will feature the same eight-core CPU as the M1, but will benefit from speed and efficiency improvements, along with a new nine or ten core GPU, up from seven or eight cores in the M1. Following the M1 Pro, it is plausible that the M2 Pro will feature the same 10-core CPU, but feature improved efficiency and more GPU cores than the current 14- and 16-core options, just like the standard M2. Testing on the M2 chip is already underway as evidenced by references to the chip in the latest beta of macOS Monterey.
Leaker Jon Prosser said last year that Apple was working on a complete redesign for the small desktop computer, moving to a smaller chassis with a "plexiglass-like" top. Contrary to this rumor, reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo now claims that Apple's next-generation Mac mini is likely to feature the same design as the current model, which is an aluminum unibody design that Apple has used for every new Mac mini since 2010. Kuo has also said that the new Mac mini will not launch until 2023.
