Rumors claimed that Apple will announce a new Mac mini at its spring event yesterday, but instead we got the all-new Mac Studio, which is a cross between a Mac mini and a Mac Pro. The Mac mini isn't being phased out with the release of the Mac Studio, and a new version is still in the works.
The M1 Max and new M1 Ultra chips are used in the Mac Studio, but according to 9to5Mac, Apple will switch to the M2 chip in the upcoming Mac mini. Apple is rumoured to be working on two different Mac mini models, one with a conventional M2 processor and the other with an M2 Pro chip.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has already told us a little bit about the M2 chip. It'll have the same 8-core CPU as the M1, but with improved performance and efficiency, as well as a 9 or 10 core GPU, up from 7 or 8 cores in the M1.
We don't have all the details on the M2 Pro yet, but it could have a 12-core CPU. We could also see a GPU bump because the present M1 Pro chip has a 10-core CPU and 16-core GPU. As demonstrated by references to the processor in the current beta of macOS Monterey, testing on the M2 is already underway.
Apple "had plans" to release high-end Mac minis with M1 Pro and M1 Max CPUs, according to 9to5Mac, but these plans were "probably dropped" in favour of the Mac Studio, with Apple instead choosing for an M2 upgrade.
According to previous reports, a future Mac mini could have a slimmer chassis, a plexiglass-like top, and two-tone colour possibilities.
The Mac mini could get an update later this year, and the fact that Apple kept the Intel model in the list is likely the greatest proof that the computer isn't being phased out. For the time being, the 2020 M1 Mac mini is still available alongside the older Intel model.
