Whether you’re tired of Windows and are thinking about switching to Mac or you just want to upgrade your older Mac mini, the Mac mini M6 is a great option. And right now you can get it for a great price with this October Prime Day deal.

I recently reviewed the new Mac mini M6 and gave the latest version of Apple’s smallest Mac yet 4.5 stars and an editor’s choice award, and rightfully so. While it features the same redesigned case first introduced with the Mac mini M4, there are enough meaningful updates under the hood — like its more powerful M6 chip and custom N1 networking chip — that easily make it one of the best mini PCs.

While Apple did raise the starting price of its latest Mac mini from $599 to $899, thanks to this excellent October Prime Day discount, you can pick up the Mac mini M6 for $779 at Amazon, or $120 off its normal price right now.

Given just how popular the Mac mini M4 became for running local AI workloads, I wouldn’t wait on this deal if you’ve been thinking about upgrading. In fact, it’s still cheaper than if you bought one directly from Apple using an education discount at $799. Here’s why the new Mac mini M6 is so easy to recommend, especially at this discounted price.

Same small footprint but now even faster

At 5 x 5 x 2 inches, the Mac mini M6 takes up the exact same footprint on your desk as its predecessor. Not only does this mean that you can use all of the existing third-party accessories for the M4 model with it but no matter how small your workspace is, you won’t have any trouble finding a spot for the new Mac mini.

While its overall design may be the same, Apple has made some big changes under the hood. For starters, the new M6 chip powering it is both faster and more efficient due to the fact that it’s built using a cutting-edge 2nm manufacturing process. In our benchmark tests, the Mac mini M6 showed results that were even faster than those from Apple’s M4 Pro model.

One thing that really impressed me personally was how much better the Mac mini M6 is at gaming over its predecessor. Although it isn’t one of the best gaming PCs, we were still able to play Cyberpunk 2077 at nearly 60 fps at 1080p using the game’s dedicated “For this Mac” preset.

During my testing, I booted up Control and after lowering the resolution down to 1440p on Apple’s Studio Display XDR, the game played great and looked fantastic despite the fact that it was running on a premium monitor better suited for the new Mac Studio.

When it comes to connectivity, you still get two USB-C ports and a headphone jack around front as well as three Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI, Ethernet and a power port on the back. However, Apple gave the Ethernet port a quiet but impressive upgrade, going from gigabit Ethernet on the Mac mini M4 to 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet on the new Mac mini M6.

If you’re downloading or uploading big files, this upgraded wired port will definitely make a massive difference. For everyday use though, you’re still getting a major connectivity upgrade, thanks to the inclusion of Apple’s custom N1 chip that adds Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 and even Thread smart home support to the Mac mini M6. From faster downloads to lower-latency wireless audio to the fact that you can now use your Mac mini as a smart home hub, this new networking chip makes a big difference in how you’ll use Apple’s new Mac mini.

Whether you’re looking to upgrade from an older MacBook, want to downsize from a big, bulky tower PC or you’re fed up with Windows and want to switch to Mac, the Mac mini M6 is easily one of the best Macs you can buy right now and this October Prime Day discount sweetens the deal by putting over $100 back in your pocket.

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For starters, you get faster single-core and multi-core performance thanks to Apple’s M6 chip. Built on a more efficient 2nm process, it features a Dual 16-Core Neural Engine for local AI tasks, along with an upgraded 12-core GPU for a dramatically better gaming experience.

That speed comes with a trade-off, though. At $899, the Mac mini M6 carries a higher starting price, and anyone hoping for a visual redesign or new colorways will find the exterior virtually unchanged.

Whether you’re upgrading from an older Mac mini or picking up your very first Mac, here is everything you need to know about the Mac mini M6 — along with five reasons to buy and two reasons you might want to skip Apple’s latest mini desktop.

Mac mini M6: Reasons to buy

Same tiny footprint

The Mac mini M6 isn’t just one of the best mini PCs; it’s also one of the smallest. At 5 x 5 x 2 inches, it’s tiny and won’t take up much space on your desk. Also, since it has an internal power supply, you don’t have to worry about a bulky power brick. This makes cable management a breeze, and it's easy to move your Mac mini from room to room or even travel with it.

For an even cleaner desk setup, I’d recommend Bluetooth accessories like Apple’s Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, or Magic Trackpad. If you want more customization, though, Logitech’s MX Master Series is also a great fit for Apple’s smallest Mac.

Massive M6 speed boost

Don’t get me wrong, the Mac mini M4 was a big step up over the Mac mini M2. However, with the M6 chip in this new model, our benchmark tests showed results that were closer to the Mac mini M4 Pro. For instance, on the Geekbench 6 CPU benchmark, its single-core score of 4,708 easily beat the Mac mini M4 Pro by nearly a thousand points. The multi-core results were slightly under the M4 Pro’s at 21,405 (versus 22,661) but were 44% faster than the base M4.

The Mac mini M6 will be a big upgrade for most workflows. However, if you plan to edit video or do more intensive tasks on your Mac mini, budget an extra $200-$400 for extra storage and RAM when configuring your system. Though 16GB of RAM is more than enough for most tasks, choosing a 512GB SSD over the standard 256GB one unlocks full multi-channel PCIe Gen 4 storage bandwidth on Apple Silicon, resulting in faster exports and file transfers.

Faster wireless and wired downloads

Raw processing power may be the biggest upgrade with the Mac mini M6, but you also get a connectivity boost as well thanks to Apple’s custom N1 networking chip. Unlike the previous generation, this new Mac mini supports Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, and Thread networking thanks to the N1 chip housed inside it.

With Wi-Fi 7, you’ll see faster downloads and uploads, while Bluetooth 6.0 brings Channel Sounding for far more accurate distance tracking, better power efficiency, and lower-latency wireless audio. With native Thread support built in, you can also use the Mac mini M6 as a smart home hub instead of an external bridge.

Finally, if you prefer a wired internet connection over wireless, you’re in luck. While the previous Mac mini came with a gigabit Ethernet port, this one has a multi-gig 2.5 GbE port. Wi-Fi is convenient, but for large downloads or uploads, you might want to use an Ethernet cable instead to speed things up even further.

Mini Mac gaming realized

Apple’s M-series chips have made great strides in gaming on your Mac. While older titles ran well on the M4, the M6 finally lets you play modern titles right on your Mac mini. This isn’t one of the best gaming PCs, but if you’re willing to drop the resolution and lower some settings, you can play quite a lot of native Mac games surprisingly well.

I tested Control on the Mac mini M6, and after lowering the resolution to 1440p, it ran quite well even on Apple’s high-resolution Studio Display XDR. In our test lab, though, we dropped the resolution down to 1080p and saw framerates well above 60 fps in a number of titles. Using its dedicated “For this Mac” preset, we even managed to play Cyberpunk 2077 at a stable 56 fps at 1080p. I wouldn’t recommend buying a Mac mini M6 solely for gaming, but it’s nice to know you can play even more demanding games with a few compromises.

Easy (and cheaper) to accessorize

Now you might see the Mac mini M6 sharing an identical design with its predecessor as a bad thing. However, since both mini PCs share the same ports (minus the upgraded Ethernet port) and dimensions, you can use any existing third-party accessories for the Mac mini M4 with this new model.

I’m particularly fond of the Satechi Mac mini M4 Hub & Stand as well as this one from Ugreen for several reasons. They add a ton of extra ports to your Mac mini, including USB-A, plus SD and microSD card readers. The best part, though, is that when you flip either one over, there’s a compartment on the bottom where you can add an SSD to significantly expand your Mac mini’s storage without paying a fortune.

Mac mini M6: Reasons to skip

Higher starting price

At $599 (or $499 with an education discount), the Mac mini M4 was an absolute steal. Thanks to RAMaggedon and the ongoing storage and memory crisis, the Mac mini M6 now starts at $899 (or $799 with an education discount). That $300 price hike isn’t insignificant, especially when you factor in the cost of adding extra memory or storage to your new Mac mini directly from Apple.

The Mac mini M4 is still an excellent choice, and if you can find one used in good condition, that might be a better option depending on your budget. Still, the Mac mini M6 is a much more powerful machine and could be worth the premium, depending on your workflow.

A nearly identical design

When Apple introduces a major redesign as it did with the Mac mini M4, the company usually waits a few generations before making any big changes. Since the Mac mini M6 is its direct successor, you won’t find much difference in design. It uses the same case and port layout, and the power button is still on the underside of the device.

If you already have a Mac mini M4, Apple’s faster M6 chip and the Wi-Fi 7 upgrade, along with the included N1 chip, are the main reasons to upgrade. If you have a perfectly fine Mac mini M4 but want something a bit different, it might be worth holding out for the next generation instead. Even then though, this smaller, squarer Mac mini redesign might be here to stay for a while.

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As you can read in our Mac mini M6 review and Mac Studio M5 Ultra review, these are highly capable machines for everyday work and heavy workloads. But depending on your specific needs (and budget), one might be a better choice than the other. That’s where I come in.

So, should you buy the Mac mini or the Mac Studio? Below, I’ll detail the key differences between Apple’s Macs to help you decide which one is right for you.

Mac mini vs Mac Studio: Price

Aside from performance (which we’ll get to shortly), the biggest difference between the Mac mini and Mac Studio is price. Sure, both are more expensive than their previous models, but even with that in mind, there is a substantial price gap between these two Macs.

The Mac mini with the M6 chip is the most affordable option at $899. If you want more power, you can opt for a model with an M5 Pro chip starting at $1,699. Upgrading the RAM and storage will naturally raise the price by hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

The Mac Studio starts at $2,499 for the model with an M5 Max chip. The M5 Ultra chip model costs $5,499. As with the Mac mini, upgrading memory and storage will increase the price.

Mac mini vs Mac Studio: Design

Neither the Mac mini nor the Mac Studio received a major redesign from prior models. Still, it’s worth detailing their designs, as one might be a better fit for your setup over the other.

As its name suggests, the Mac mini is the smaller of the two, measuring 5 x 5 x 2 inches and weighing 1.5 pounds. Due to its diminutive size, finding a spot for it on your desk shouldn’t be much of an issue. Heck, if you have an Apple Studio XDR Display, you can even rest it on the monitor’s stand, though cable management might be a tad tricky.

At 7.7 x 7.7 x 3.7 inches and up to 8 pounds, the Mac Studio is definitely the bigger cousin of the Mac mini. That said, it’s still a relatively small PC — especially if you’re used to enormous desktops. It can’t sit neatly on the Studio Display’s stand like the Mac mini, but I didn’t have trouble positioning it on my desk at work.

Both the Mac mini and Mac Studio are relatively small computers, but if you want the smallest Mac possible, then the mini is the way to go.

Mac mini vs Mac Studio: Performance

The next major divide between these Macs is performance. Though both can handle everyday work and even heavier workloads, one is significantly more powerful, which could make it more enticing (or necessary) for hardcore power users or professionals.

The Mac mini we reviewed packs an M6 chip and 24GB of RAM, while the Mac Studio I tested has an M5 Ultra chip and a whopping 256GB of RAM. Neither is configured like its respective starting model, and there's a huge RAM gap between them. Keep that in mind as I detail the results of the performance tests we conducted.

On the Geekbench 6 CPU benchmark, the Mac mini and Mac Studio have roughly similar single-core performance. However, the Mac Studio is the undisputed winner in multi-core performance. That said, the mini’s multi-core performance is still extremely impressive.

In the Blackmagic SSD speed tests, the Mac Studio greatly outperformed the Mac mini with faster read and write times. The same is true for the HandBrake test, which converts a 25GB 4K video file to 1080p. Basically, if you’re transferring files or rendering videos, the Mac Studio can perform those tasks much faster.

Neither the Mac mini nor the Mac Studio can compete with the best gaming PCs, but it shouldn’t surprise you that the Mac Studio runs games better at higher resolutions and frame rates. That isn’t to say you can't play games on the Mac mini, especially with Apple Silicon-optimized titles, but don’t expect games to run smoothly above 1080p.

Mac mini vs Mac Studio: Which one to buy?

Choosing between a Mac mini and a Mac Studio comes down to two things: price and necessity.

If you mainly use a computer for everyday tasks like web browsing, Google Docs, or watching videos, the Mac mini is the machine for you. The same is also true if you’re on a tighter budget. In short, the Mac mini is the better option for most folks who want a Mac desktop.

Conversely, if you’re a professional video editor, want to run heavy AI workloads on device, or just want an extremely powerful Mac, then the Mac Studio is a no-brainer—especially if money is no object. And if you are a professional, the Mac Studio will likely pay for itself over time by speeding up your workflow and saving you time and money.

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Powerful performance is the main highlight, and the Mac Studio’s design remains identical to last year’s model. That’s fine, as this desktop PC’s sleek, compact design makes it easy to fit into your work setup. As before, the Mac Studio runs cool and quiet even under heavy load and packs a ton of ports — the M5 Ultra model features a whopping 6 Thunderbolt 5 ports.

The Mac Studio is undoubtedly one of the best computers, capable of handling even the most demanding video editing or 3D rendering projects with ease. It’s also good for gaming, especially games optimized for Apple silicon. However, if you don’t need all the power this expensive PC offers, you’re probably better off with the $899 M6-powered Mac mini.

Price aside, this is one seriously impressive machine. Find out more in my full review of the Apple Mac Studio M5 Ultra!

Apple Mac Studio M5 Ultra review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? The Mac Studio is Apple’s most powerful desktop computer.
• Who is it for? For professionals who need more power than even the iMac or Mac mini can provide.
• What does it cost? The Mac Studio with the M5 Max chip starts at $2,499, while the model packing the M5 Ultra starts at $5,499. As configured, our review unit is valued at $12,299.
• What do we like? We like the sleek, compact design, powerful CPU and gaming performance, and how cool and quiet it runs even under heavy load.
• What don’t we like? We don’t like the extremely steep asking price.

Apple Mac Studio M5 Ultra review: Specs

Apple Mac Studio M5 Ultra review: The ups

The Mac Studio impresses thanks to its elegant design and powerful performance. It's the kind of computer for serious power users and professionals.

Lovely design

The Mac Studio retains the same simple, boxy design as its immediate predecessors. Thanks to its small footprint, it’s easy to place almost anywhere on your desk. And with the lion’s share of ports on the back, cable management is also a breeze.

Speaking of ports, you’ll find plenty here. The front has two USB-C ports and an SDXC card slot, while the back has four USB-C/Thunderbolt 5 ports, an Ethernet port, two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, and a headphone jack. On Mac Studios with the M5 Ultra chip, all USB-C ports are Thunderbolt 5, for a total of six.

Though the Mac Studio can be heavy (especially the 8-pound M5 Ultra model), moving it around your desk is seamless thanks to its smooth, protruding bottom. The computer practically glides across the desk, so you’ll rarely need to pick it up when moving it to another spot.

Killer CPU performance

The Mac Studio I tested is an absolute monster thanks to its Apple M5 Ultra chip and whopping 256GB of RAM! It’s certainly more power than I need for my daily work, which involves keeping multiple Chrome tabs open, with the occasional video tossed in. It won’t surprise anyone that even with well over 30 Chrome tabs open, the Mac Studio kept going without slowing down and stayed cool and quiet the entire time.

To be clear, the Mac Studio I reviewed is so powerful that we had a difficult time finding other computers in its class. So keep that in mind as I move forward with the comparisons I decided to make, as they still give you an idea of what Apple’s desktop is capable of.

On the Geekbench 6 CPU benchmark, the new Mac Studio has single-core performance comparable to its M4 Max-powered predecessor. However, multi-core performance differs significantly. Again, this isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison since it’s an M5 Ultra chip vs. M4 Max, but the numbers still tell a story.

The Mac Studio also delivered strong results compared with last year’s model in our other benchmark tests. For instance, on the Blackmagic SSD speed tests, the new Apple computer vastly outperformed the previous model. On the HandBrake test, which converts a 25GB 4K video file to 1080p, the Mac Studio completed the task 51 seconds faster than the M4 Max Mac Studio.

Lastly, we also had the Mac Studio export a high-res video. The video was 8 minutes, 27 seconds long and included 5K at 30 fps ProRes RAW footage with color grading, plus one 4K 120 fps clip reduced to 25% speed. The Mac Studio took 1 minute and 20 seconds to convert this video to 4K at 30 fps.

In comparison, a 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M5 chip and 32GB of RAM completed the task in 5 minutes and 40 seconds. While comparing an M5 Ultra Mac Studio to an M5 MacBook Pro isn’t exactly fair, it highlights the wide gulf between these M5-powered machines.

Awesome for gaming

Given the power under the hood, I was eager to see the Mac Studio’s gaming prowess. Though it can’t quite match the performance of one of the best gaming PCs, you’ll still see solid results — especially for Apple Silicon-optimized games.

Cyberpunk 2077 has a dedicated “For this Mac” graphical mode, and when I enabled that and set the resolution to match the Mac Studio Display’s 5K, the game ran at a consistent 60 frames per second. Sure, I’ve seen this title run at higher frame rates on proper gaming rigs; this is very impressive for such a graphically demanding title.

Now, how does the Mac Studio hold up against a gaming PC? For this comparison, I’m using the Alienware Area-51, which is one of the best gaming PCs we’ve tested. Again, the comparison isn’t perfect, but it shows you how the Mac Studio compares to a proper gaming rig.

At high graphical settings and 4K resolution, Apple Silicon-optimized games such as Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Cyberpunk 2077 ran smoothly. This is especially true of the latter, which has a dedicated “For this Mac” setting that further optimizes performance. Even an unoptimized game like Borderlands 3 runs like a dream on the Mac Studio.

Though the Mac Studio’s gaming prowess is commendable, it doesn’t come close to the Alienware Area-51, which packs an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 GPU, and 64GB of RAM. Except for Cyberpunk 2077, the beefy gaming rig ran games at well over 120 frames per second on the same settings.

I should note that even Apple Silicon-optimized games have likely not been specifically tuned for the M5 Ultra chip. As a result, we could see much better gaming performance soon. Still, even if you’re not getting exact gaming PC-like performance, the Mac Studio can handle AAA games, as long as they’re optimized.

Runs cool and quiet

Powerful computers tend to get very loud and hot when pushed to the limit. I didn’t experience that with the Mac Studio during my testing.

The fans are on the bottom and back, and both do an effective job of pushing heat out. But even when I ran a demanding game or rendered a large video file, the vents got lukewarm at best.

Apple Mac Studio M5 Ultra review: The downs

There’s no denying the Mac Studio’s impressive performance, but you’ll have to pay a steep price for that privilege.

Very expensive

The Mac Studio comes in two models: one with an M5 Max chip and another with an M5 Ultra. The former starts at $2,499 ($500 more than last year’s model), while the latter will set you back a wallet-crunching $5,499 — or $1,500 more than last year's M3 Ultra model.

You get what you pay for with this computer, and if you’re a professional video editor, this could be a worthwhile investment, as it will certainly speed up your projects. The same is true if you want to run complex AI models on device. However, if you’re just looking for an Apple desktop computer for everyday work, you’re better off with the more reasonably priced M6 Mac mini, which starts at $899.

Apple Mac Studio M5 Ultra review: Verdict

The Mac Studio M5 Ultra is one seriously impressive computer. It can handle just about anything you throw at it and keeps asking for more. Doing so while running quietly makes it even more astonishing. Again, if you need an insanely powerful Mac for video editing or heavy AI workloads, you can’t do better.

Of course, this isn’t a computer for everyone, and not just because of its steep price. If you just want a desktop Mac for everyday work, then the $899 Mac mini M6 is your best bet. Conversely, if you have cash to spare but want a proper gaming rig, the Alienware Area-51 or the HP Omen Max 45L are solid choices.

But if you like what I had to say about the Mac Studio M5 Ultra and think it’ll make your workflow easier, then certainly consider checking it out, especially if you’re using a much older model or want to upgrade from a MacBook Pro. Yes, it’ll cost a pretty penny, but you won’t be disappointed by the results.

Apple completely redesigned the Mac mini from the ground up with the M4 generation, which meant it didn’t need to change the exterior this time around. You still get convenient front ports and three Thunderbolt ports for video out around back. With the power of Cupertino’s new M6 chip — featuring a 12-core CPU and GPU alongside a dual 16-core Neural Engine — the Mac mini M6 handles everything from local AI workloads to video editing and even gaming with ease.

My Mac mini M6 review will help you decide if this is the best mini PC for your workload, and whether it’s the desktop equivalent of the MacBook Neo for those finally looking to ditch their Windows PC for good.

Mac mini M6: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? An upgraded version of Apple’s smallest desktop computer featuring new M6 or M5 Pro chips.
• Who is it for? People looking to switch to Mac, or MacBook users who want a small form-factor desktop for their desk.
• What does it cost? The Mac mini with M6 starts at $899, while the Mac mini with M5 Pro starts at $1,699. Both systems can be configured with additional memory, storage, and 10Gb Ethernet.
• What do we like? It keeps the same compact design and front/rear port layout as its predecessor, adds Apple’s N1 chip for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread, and makes 2.5 GbE the standard Ethernet port.
• What don’t we like? The higher starting price, the awkwardly placed power button on the bottom of the device, that it ships with a 256GB SSD, and how quickly the price increases when you add extra memory or storage at checkout.

Mac mini M6: Specs

Mac mini M6: The ups

The Mac mini M6 takes everything that worked so well with its predecessor while turbocharging its internals with Apple’s new M6 chip. However, the smaller, connectivity-focused upgrades and its gaming performance impressed me most.

Refined not redesigned

At 5 x 5 x 2 inches, the Mac mini M6 takes up the exact same footprint on your desk as its predecessor. Unlike many of the other mini PCs I’ve tested, it features an internal power supply, making cable management and traveling with it a breeze.

On the front, you still get two USB-C ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a subtle white LED power indicator. Keep in mind, though, these front ports are strictly for connecting accessories and transferring data, as they don’t support video out.

Around back, there are three Thunderbolt 4 ports on the Mac mini M6 (or three Thunderbolt 5 ports on the M5 Pro model). On both versions, you also get an HDMI port, an Ethernet port and the power connection.

While the layout is virtually identical to the previous generation, the Ethernet port got a stealthy upgrade: instead of standard Gigabit Ethernet, Apple now includes a multi-gig 2.5 GbE port as the new standard for faster wired downloads and uploads, which is a fantastic addition in my book.

M6 upgrades all around

If you’re upgrading from the previous generation to the Mac mini M6, you might feel a bit of déjà vu when unboxing your new desktop — I know I did. In terms of looks and accessories, everything is virtually identical. However, it’s the added power under the hood (and one key connectivity upgrade) that truly sets this new Mac mini apart.

During my time testing the Mac mini M6, I threw my typical daily workload at it: dozens of Chrome tabs spread across side-by-side windows alongside photo editing in GIMP. Unlike the Mac mini M4, which could occasionally stutter under heavy multitasking, the M6 didn’t miss a beat.

It’s worth noting that Apple provided our review unit with 24GB of unified memory rather than the base 16GB. Still, with the M6 silicon running the show, even the base model will feel like a massive step up for most users.

It was in our lab testing that the Mac mini M6 really shone. On the Geekbench 6 CPU benchmark, its single-core score of 4,708 easily beat the Mac mini M4 Pro by nearly a thousand points. The M6’s multi-core result landed at 21,405 — just shy of the M4 Pro’s 22,661 — and a staggering 44% jump over the base M4.

If you plan on using the Mac mini M6 for video editing, you’re in for a welcome surprise. In our Handbrake test — which transcodes a 25GB 4K video file down to 1080p — the M6 finished in just 2 minutes and 45 seconds, shaving nearly two full minutes off the M4's time.

The Mac mini M6 also crushed our 25GB file copy benchmark at 6,371.5 MBps, more than doubling the M4’s 3,017.3 MBps and outpacing PC competitors like the Lenovo Yoga Mini (1,457.1 MBps).

Much like the gains seen in Blackmagic SSD tests, this speed boost is largely tied to our review unit’s 512GB SSD, which unlocks full multi-channel PCIe Gen 4 storage bandwidth on Apple Silicon. For anyone handling heavy video workflows or large media transfers, that extra file speed alone makes upgrading to at least 512GB worth the additional $200 at checkout.

More than faster performance

The new M6 silicon may be the star of the show, but it’s not the only piece of custom Apple hardware inside the Mac mini M6. The company also outfitted its upgraded desktop with its proprietary N1 networking chip, improving short-range wireless connectivity across the board.

In addition to Wi-Fi 7, you get Bluetooth 6.0 and native Thread support out of the box. For me, the jump to Wi-Fi 7 is the major upgrade — alongside access to the faster 6 GHz band, you get key protocol features like Multi-Link Operation (MLO), which aggregates multiple bands simultaneously for lower latency and higher throughput.

Meanwhile, Bluetooth 6 brings Channel Sounding for far more accurate distance tracking, better power efficiency and lower-latency wireless audio. With native Thread support built in, the Mac mini M6 can also double as a smart home hub without needing an external bridge.

After Apple debuted the N1 chip on the iPhone 17, I knew it was only a matter of time before it migrated to the Mac mini. I’m glad to see Apple make the switch from off-the-shelf Broadcom modules to its own custom networking silicon sooner rather than later.

Mini Mac gaming realized

Now don’t get me wrong — I was certainly able to play games on the Mac mini M4, but I was largely limited to older titles and rarely saw anything close to 60 fps. With the Mac mini M6, however, you can now comfortably run modern titles on a desktop even smaller than Valve’s Steam Machine.

While testing the Mac mini M6 with Apple’s Studio Display XDR at the office, I decided to jump into Control, especially with its sequel, Control Resonant, hitting shelves. I did have to drop the resolution down to 1440p, but the game looked crisp and ran smoothly. If you’re willing to scale down to 1080p, performance gets a massive boost — particularly compared to the previous generation.

In our lab testing, the title that surprised me most was Cyberpunk 2077. Thanks to its dedicated "For this Mac" graphical preset, it maintained a steady 56 fps at 1080p. In older titles like Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Sid Meier’s Civilization VI: Gathering Storm, the M6 easily cleared 60 fps at that same resolution.

I still wouldn’t rush out to buy a Mac mini M6 purely as a dedicated gaming rig, but it’s refreshing to know you can play demanding titles comfortably if you’re open to tweaking your resolution and graphics settings.

Mac mini M6: The downs

The Mac mini M6 is a big step up over its predecessor, but it’s not without its downsides. Namely, its higher starting price and the fact that Apple played it safe with this mini PC’s design.

Not quite a mini price tag

At $599 (or $499 with an education discount), the Mac mini M4 was a surprisingly affordable mini PC. Now, with a starting price of $899, the Mac mini M6 costs $300 more. While you’re getting a much faster chip, you aren’t getting extra storage or a memory bump like we saw when Apple moved from 8GB to 16GB of unified memory as the baseline standard on the M4.

Because of RAMageddon, much of this is out of Apple’s control. Still, looking at the MacBook Neo — where Apple kept the price hike down to $100 despite rising memory costs — a $300 bump here stings.

While the base Mac mini M6 is plenty fast for everyday tasks like writing documents or checking email, anyone planning on heavier workloads will likely need to configure more headroom. At $200 a pop to upgrade storage or memory, those costs add up fast.

You can offset storage limits with external accessories like Satechi’s Mac mini M4 Hub & Stand (which works with the M6, too), but memory is locked in for life — so plan accordingly before ordering.

Lacking that "One more thing"

When the Mac mini M6 was first revealed, I was definitely excited, but also slightly let down. Once Apple introduces a major redesign, the company usually waits a few generations before making any big physical changes — but I really wish it had tweaked the Mac mini M6 just a bit.

For example, putting the power button on the bottom of the computer still feels like a strange design choice. (Even if I accidentally ended up proving Apple right when I left my Mac mini M4 powered on for several months straight without noticing last year.)

One upgrade I would have loved to see on the Mac mini M6 is built-in Touch ID. As we’ve seen on the iPad mini and now with the iPhone Duo, Apple does a great job of integrating fingerprint readers directly into power buttons. Why couldn’t the Mac mini get the same treatment? A small tweak like that wouldn't have required redesigning the whole computer, either.

A faster chip and improved connectivity are great upgrades, but just a little something extra on the hardware side really would have been a nice touch — and perhaps even reason enough to convince Mac mini M4 users to upgrade.

Mac mini M6: Verdict

The Mac mini M6 doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but thanks to the major redesign of its predecessor, it really doesn’t need to. You still get a beautifully designed and compact mini PC with plenty of ports and 16GB of unified memory standard. However, it’s the extra processing and graphical horsepower of the M6 silicon that truly shines here.

Whether you’re browsing the web, managing local files, or putting Apple Intelligence and Siri AI through their paces, everything just feels noticeably faster. Equally impressive, this tiny Mac stays completely cool to the touch and dead silent while doing so.

At $899, the higher price tag does sting a bit — especially if you plan to add extra memory or storage. But even at a higher price, the Mac mini M6 remains an excellent mini PC and the perfect MacBook alternative for desktop users. It’s also a fantastic entry point for anyone looking to dive headfirst into the Apple ecosystem with the full power of Apple Silicon.

If you're interested in Apple Intelligence and the new Siri AI, you should try Golden Gate. There aren't many new features, but it improves Liquid Glass readability, offers easier customization, and delivers smoother performance for a better overall experience on the best MacBooks.

The AI features, marking the end of Apple's Intel era, are powered by Google Gemini and designed to work within Apple's ecosystem.

To make the update process as painless as possible, I've put together this quick, easy guide on how to download macOS Tahoe, with photos to walk you through it.

Supported Macs

As with most macOS releases, Golden Gate is a free upgrade for all supported Macs. Not every device that ran macOS Tahoe can run Golden Gate.

Here's the full list of Macs that can install and run macOS Golden Gate:

• MacBook Neo (2026)
• MacBook Air with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
• MacBook Pro with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
• iMac with Apple silicon (2021 and later)
• Mac mini with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
• Mac Studio with Apple silicon (2022 and later)
• Mac Pro with Apple silicon (2023 and later)

Important before you update: back up your Mac! Apple has the built-in Time Machine feature, or you could use a reputable third-party service like Backblaze — our guide to the best cloud storage solutions offers even more recommendations for you.

How to download macOS Golden Gate

Apple makes downloading its macOS updates fairly straightforward.

That’s all that’s required to download macOS Golden Gate.

Your Mac will restart once the download finishes. After that, you can start trying out all the new features. Depending on your connection speed, the download might take a few minutes, so be patient.

More from Tom's Guide

• 7 Apple products expected to be announced in October — touchscreen MacBook Ultra, HomePad and more
• iOS 27: 7 features you need to try first after updating
• iPhone Duo hands-on: Apple nailed it — and just put everyone else on notice

For a limited time, you can preorder the new Mac mini M6 for $879 at Amazon. It's a minor $20 off, but it's the first discount I've seen on Apple's new Mac. If you want even more power, you can preorder the Mac mini M5 Pro for $1,669 at Amazon. That's $30 off.

Quick Links

• shop all Apple preorders at Amazon
• Mac mini M6: was $899 now $879
• Mac mini M5 Pro: was $1,699 now $1,669

Mac mini 2026 preorders

I own the Mac mini M4 Pro and it's hands-down the most powerful Mac I've ever purchased. We even called it the best mini PC you can buy right now. We've yet to review the M6 Mac mini, but it's safe to say this will be another powerhouse. Apple has kept a lot of the DNA that made the previous mini so great, including a wide range of ports for connectivity and a sleek, easy-to-hide design that looks at home in any desk set-up.

The base model includes Apple's new M6 chipset, 16GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. You also get two USB-C ports and a headphone jack up front where you can actually reach them. On the back, you'll find Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI port and a gigabit Ethernet port, which can be upgraded to a 10 gigabit port.

The only downside I can think of is that the base model still includes a paltry 256GB SSD. For the new higher price, I would've preferred to see at least a 512GB SSD. Despite these issues, this remains one of the best mini PCs on the market today.

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Those devices could still be on the way. Apple typically announces new MacBooks in October, and we could see some other products then as well. Here are the seven new Apple products that we could see next month.

Touchscreen MacBook Ultra with OLED

Apple has already released a surprising number of Mac laptops and desktops this year. We had the MacBook Neo, M5 MacBook Air, and M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pros way back in the spring, plus late refreshes of the Mac mini and Mac Studio.

Next month we're expecting an M6 version of the iMac, which also might get some new colorways, and an M6 MacBook Pro.

But the headliner should be a new MacBook Pro (or Ultra). The big change here should be a new OLED touchscreen display, which would make it the first OLED MacBook.

OLED panels are thinner, so the Ultra should be both slimmer and lighter in both 14- and 16-inch versions. It could be powered by the as-yet-unannounced M6 Pro and M6 Max chipsets. This does mean that we might not see the Ultra until early 2027, as Apple has pushed announcing those chips into the first half of the year.

Unfortunately, all these new features and higher-tier silicon mean that the Ultra could have a starting price around $2,499 for the 14-inch model, up from $2,199 for the current M5 Pro models.

iPad mini with OLED

The iPad Pro has had an OLED display since 2024, but we could finally see an iPad mini with OLED this October. Coincidentally, the mini hasn't received an update since October 2024, when the iPad mini 7 was released.

It will likely get a faster chip, probably the A19, if not the new A20, so it can run Apple Intelligence, especially the new Siri AI. It's not clear from rumors if any other design changes will be made. However, it might be thinner and lighter since the OLED panel is thinner.

We should also see an updated entry-level iPad. As far as we're aware the only update here would be new chips.

Smart Home Devices

We warned before the iPhone event that rumors about Apple's smart home options need to be taken with a grain of salt. For years, leaks and rumor mongers have suggested that Apple is planning to introduce a suite of smart home devices, including a revamped HomePod and an AI-powered Apple TV 4K set-top box.

Rumors suggested that Apple would announce these devices during the iPhone event, which obviously did not come to fruition.

Apple seems to have finally figured out Siri AI with iOS 27. If it releases and works as pitched, we could finally start seeing Apple Home.

HomePod Home hub

Previously, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, long a reporter of the rumored HomePod updates, believed that a new HomePod mini could launch with the iPhones alongside the rumored HomePod Home hub.

However, right before the iPhone event, Gurman cheekily tweeted, "If you don't see the Apple TV, HomePod mini, home display and touch MacBook today, don't worry. It's only September."

Several different iterations of this device have been rumored, including one with a $1,000 robot arm. The most common version involves a wall-mounted touchpad or a HomePod speaker with a touch display about the size of an iPad mini.

This device would have a FaceTime camera for video calls and presence sensors to initiate smart home routines.

HomePod mini 2

A new HomePod mini might also debut, but it might not be as big of an upgrade as the Hub. Most rumors suggest that it will feature a new chip and audio improvements. It will probably get new colors.

The HomePod mini 2 has been on our rumor radar since at least 2023. The current version debuted in 2020, and like the next device, is long overdue for an update.

Apple TV 4K 2026

Like the HomePod series, Apple hasn't released a new version of the Apple TV 4K since 2022. We're long overdue for an upgrade — even if it's only a more powerful chip for stronger performance.

Previously, it was suggested that a new Apple TV could feature the A17 Pro chip, but it's more likely it'll get the new A20 or, to save some money, last year's A19. The device should also get the rumored N2 chip for better Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

Outside of chips, the big upgrade would be Siri AI, which could let you connect the Apple TV as a hub for smart devices. One rumor suggested that Apple might release a set-top box with a camera, which would allow for FaceTime calls and gesture-based controls.

However, a rumored refresh of the Apple TV has been making the rounds for multiple years now. I won't believe this one until it actually happens.

More from Tom's Guide

• I interviewed Apple CEO John Ternus on the making of the iPhone Duo — here's what made him say 'yes, that's it'
• People are freaking out about the new 'always-listening' Apple Watches — here's what Apple CEO John Ternus told us
• Apple Event recap — Hands-on with the iPhone Duo and all the big announcements

Preorders for Apple's new Macs are now live. You can get the Mac mini M5 Pro or Mac mini M6 from $899 at Amazon or Apple. Alternatively, you can get the Mac Studio M5 Max or Mac Studio M5 Ultra from $2,499 at Apple. If those prices are too steep for your wallet, the Apple Store is also offering trade-in credits if you swap an older Mac for a new model. You can get up to $480 for an older Mac mini and up to $580 for an older MacBook Air.

The new Mac desktops will launch on September 22. Here's where you can snag those Mac mini and Mac Studio preorders.

Quick Links

• Mac mini M6: for $899 @ Amazon
• Mac mini M5 Pro: for $1,699 @ Amazon
• Mac Studio M5 Max: for $2,499 @ Amazon
• Mac mini M6: for $899 @ Apple
• Mac mini M5 Pro: for $1,699 @ Apple
• Mac Studio M5 Max: for $2,499 @ Apple
• Mac Studio M5 Ultra: for $5,499 @ Apple

Mac mini preorders

Mac Studio preorders

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The company is claiming up to 4.3x faster AI performance, up to 1.8x faster graphics, up to 1.3x faster CPU speeds, higher memory bandwidth, and up to twice the storage speed compared with the previous generation. You also get Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 for the first time on Mac Studio, plus Thunderbolt 5 ports. It pairs with Studio Display and Studio Display XDR and runs the upcoming macOS 27 Golden Gate with the next version of Apple Intelligence, including Siri AI.

Pre-orders start today, with units scheduled to start arriving September 22. Here’s everything you need to know about the new Mac Studio.

Mac Studio: Price & availability

The Mac Studio with M5 Max starts at $2,499 (or $2,299 for education), while the Mac Studio with M5 Ultra starts at $5,499 (or $5,099 for education). Apple offers configure-to-order options on its site. The top 512GB unified memory configuration is expected in late October.

Pre-orders begin today on Apple’s website and in the Apple Store app in 30 countries and regions, including the U.S. Units begin shipping on September 22.

Mac Studio: Design

The new Mac Studio keeps the familiar compact form factor that fits on a desk. Apple didn’t announce major exterior changes, so it should look and feel like the previous model.

What is new is the connectivity. Thunderbolt 5 ports deliver up to 120Gb/s, which is useful for fast external storage, PCIe expansion chassis, and high-performance hubs. You can also cluster multiple Mac Studio systems together over Thunderbolt 5 with RDMA support. Apple says a cluster of four can deliver up to 3x faster distributed AI inference than a single machine.

Wireless gets an upgrade too. The Apple N1 chip brings Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 to the Mac Studio for the first time. There’s also genlock support over USB-C for tighter synchronization between a display and a camera (Apple specifically calls out the iPhone 17 Pro).

On the display side, the Mac Studio can drive up to eight displays, or up to four Studio Display XDR units at full 5K resolution and 120Hz.

Storage is faster as well. Apple switched to a next-generation SSD architecture based on PCIe Gen 6 and claims up to 2x the performance of the previous Mac Studio for loading projects, transferring files, and working with large language models.

Mac Studio: Specs & performance

There are two chips here. M5 Max is the more affordable option for serious pro work. M5 Ultra is the maxed-out version for the most extreme workloads.

Apple says the GPU is up to 50% faster than the previous generation. It also includes third-gen hardware-accelerated ray tracing and enhanced shader cores. The Media Engine handles hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes, and AV1 decoding, which should help with uncompressed 8K footage and multiple concurrent video streams.

Other claims for M5 Max include:

• Up to 10.7x faster LLM prompt processing in LM Studio versus Mac Studio with M1 Max (3.9x versus M4 Max)
• Up to 7.4x faster text-to-image performance versus M1 Max (3.5x versus M4 Max)
• Up to 5.3x faster Magic Mask in Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve Studio versus M1 Max (3x versus M4 Max)
• Up to 3.5x faster DNA sequencing basecalling in Oxford Nanopore MinKNOW versus M1 Max (1.9x versus M4 Max)

Apple positions the Ultra as the chip with no real equivalent. Multithreaded CPU performance is listed at up to 1.3x higher than the M3 Ultra. Graphics are up to 1.8x faster than the prior generation.

Neural Accelerators appear on the Ultra for the first time, helping deliver the peak AI numbers. The Media Engine has twice as many video encode and decode blocks as the M5 Max, enough to play up to 33 streams of 8K ProRes 422 at 30 fps simultaneously.

Other claims for M5 Ultra include:

• Up to 15.4x faster CopyCat ML training in Foundry Nuke versus Mac Studio with M1 Ultra (3.3x versus M3 Ultra)
• Up to 9.8x faster LLM prompt processing in LM Studio versus M1 Ultra (4x versus M3 Ultra)
• Up to 8.2x faster text-to-image performance versus M1 Ultra (4.3x versus M3 Ultra)
• Up to 4.7x faster scene rendering in Maxon Redshift versus M1 Ultra (1.7x versus M3 Ultra)

On the AI side, Apple highlights Neural Accelerators in every GPU core to speed up matrix multiplication. M5 Max is rated up to 3.9x faster AI performance than the prior generation. M5 Ultra reaches up to 4.3x the peak AI compute of M3 Ultra and 9.8x that of M1 Ultra. Combined with the large unified memory pools, the pitch is that you can run substantial open-weight models entirely on-device.

Apple is also pushing two frameworks: Core AI (a new architecture optimized for unified memory, CPU, GPU, and Neural Engine) and the existing open-source MLX framework. Both are meant to make local training, fine-tuning, and deployment more practical on Apple silicon.

Mac Studio: Outlook

The new Mac Studio is for people who want to run large AI models, complex video timelines, heavy 3D/VFX work, or big data jobs on a single compact desktop instead of relying on the cloud. The jump in memory (especially the 512GB Ultra configs), the faster storage, Thunderbolt 5 clustering, and the Neural Accelerator hardware are the main selling points.

Whether the real-world gains match Apple's claims will depend on the specific apps and workloads you actually use. The base prices are in line with previous high-end Mac Studios, though they're certainly not cheap. We’ll see what the Mac Studio can do when we get it into our testing lab in September, so stay tuned for more!

Given how popular the Mac mini M4 became with AI enthusiasts, the company has given the base model a major boost in that department. According to Apple, the Mac mini with M6 delivers up to 4x faster AI performance, 2x faster storage and graphics as well as 40% faster CPU performance. When it comes to the Mac mini with M5 Pro, the company says it provides 4x faster LLM prompt processing performance in LM Studio and compared to the M2 Pro, it’s 8.5x faster.

Even if you’re not interested in AI, the Mac mini with M6 and the Mac mini with M5 Pro will make for great desk companions and a great alternative to one of the best MacBooks for those who prefer a more stationary setup.

Regardless of which new Mac mini you pick up, you’re getting Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 support as well as an upgraded 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port around back. Both mini PCs will also ship with macOS 27 Golden Gate, which includes the next version of Apple Intelligence and a first for the Mac mini, Siri AI.

Pre-orders start today, with units scheduled to start arriving on September 22. Here’s everything you need to know about Apple’s new Mac mini.

Mac mini: Price & Availability

The Mac mini with M6 starts at $899 (or $799 for education), while the Mac mini with M5 Pro starts at $1,699 (or $1,599 for education). Apple will also offer configure-to-order options on its site where you can bump up the unified memory in the Mac mini with M6 from 16GB to 32GB and the Mac mini with M5 Pro all the way up to 64GB.

Pre-orders begin today on Apple’s website and in the Apple Store app in 30 countries and regions, including the U.S. Units begin shipping on September 22.

Mac mini: Design

The new Mac mini with M6 and Mac mini with M5 Pro are both compact mini PCs that are small enough to find a place on any desk. Apple hasn’t announced any major exterior changes, so it’s likely that both will feature the redesigned form factor first introduced with the Mac mini M4.

This means there will be two USB-C ports and a headphone jack on the front of both Mac mini models. Around back is where things differ. While the Mac mini with M6 will retain the three rear Thunderbolt 4 ports of its predecessor, the Mac mini with M5 Pro will have three rear Thunderbolt 5 ports instead. Likewise, both models will have HDMI around back along with upgraded 2.5Gb Ethernet out of the box, though you can upgrade either to a 10 Gigabit Ethernet port, albeit in a custom configuration.

On the Mac mini with M5 Pro, its Thunderbolt 5 ports deliver up to 120Gb/s which is useful for connecting fast external storage and monitors like the Apple Studio Display and Apple Studio Display XDR. However, there’s another benefit to having these faster ports. With Thunderbolt 5, you’ll also be able to cluster multiple Mac mini systems together which allows you to run large AI models locally instead of over the cloud.

Wireless connectivity is getting a big upgrade on both new Mac mini models too. Instead of Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 on the Mac mini M4, the Mac mini with M6 and the Mac mini with M5 Pro now support Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. When paired with one of the best Wi-Fi 7 routers, you’ll likely see faster downloads and uploads while the addition of Bluetooth 6 brings precise device tracking, lower latency and better power efficiency for your wireless peripherals like Apple’s Magic Mouse, Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad as well as your AirPods.

Although Apple didn’t reveal how many displays these new Mac mini models can drive, you’ll likely be able to use three of the best monitors simultaneously, though their resolutions and connection configurations will likely differ depending on whether you’re running the all-new M6 chip or the more powerful M5 Pro.

On the video front, we’re also getting a brand new feature delivered through USB-C called genlock support. Available on both the Mac mini with M6 and Mac mini with M5 Pro, it enables precise synchronization between a display and camera, including the iPhone 17 Pro.

Finally, storage speeds on both Mac minis are getting an upgrade. Apple switched to a next-generation SSD architecture based on PCIe Gen 6 for its upgraded Mac Studio and it looks like the new Mac mini will be following suit. The company claims up to 2x the performance compared to prior generations, which should make loading projects, transferring files and working with large language models even faster.

Mac mini: Specs & performance

Just like with the last generation, there will be two distinct versions of the Mac mini: one designed for consumers and one for pros. While both previously used different versions of the same chip, this time around, Apple is mixing things up.

The base model will be powered by Cupertino’s all-new M6 chip which features a 12-core CPU alongside a 12-core GPU. Single-threaded performance is the big upgrade here and Apple claims that the M6 offers the “world’s fastest,” so expect everything to feel extra snappy and responsive. Likewise, we’re also getting Neural Accelerators inside each core of its 12-core GPU which is a first for Mac mini. As a result, Apple claims this new chip will deliver up to 4x faster AI performance and 2x faster graphics. Multitasking is getting a boost too thanks to higher memory bandwidth up to 170GB/s.

The Mac mini with M5 Pro takes things even further performance-wise for professionals who aren’t ready to step up to a Mac Studio. With up to an 18-core CPU and up to a 20-core GPU, this upgraded model redefines what’s possible on a small desktop to handle tasks like app development, video rendering, scientific simulations and more. You’re also getting third-generation ray tracing for even more complex 3D design, VFX and game development.

With up to 64GB of unified memory with 307GB/s of memory bandwidth, the Mac mini with M5 Pro looks to be a tiny AI powerhouse capable of running even larger local AI models. However, even with this extra power under the hood, it remains a quiet and efficient always-on desktop that’s ideal for creative workflows or running AI agents.

Mac mini: Outlook

The new Mac mini is following in the footsteps of its predecessor, both in terms of design and use case. While the Mac mini with M6 will be a great desk companion with upgraded performance and improved local AI capabilities, the Mac mini with M5 Pro is more of a workstation for professionals who want even more performance in the same small form factor.

Both Mac mini models are getting a bit of a price hike compared to the previous generation but with higher memory and storage prices, this is to be expected. We’ll see what the Mac mini with M6 and the Mac mini with M5 Pro are truly capable of when we get them into our testing lab in September, so stay tuned for more.

In total, the apparent accidental leaks reveal at least 14 products, including AirPods with cameras, the expected foldable iPhone Ultra, new OLED models of the MacBook and iPad mini and a next-generation Apple TV. The leak was discovered by Aaron Perris of MacRumors.

For many of these devices, the best we can note from the code is that they exist or will exist at some point. But it does give us an idea of what Apple could be working on and what's next.

Here's the full list for now:

• Apple Home Hub
• HomePod mini 3
• Apple Security Camera
• Home Accessory
• iPhone Air 2
• iPhone 18 Pro
• iPhone 18 Pro Max
• iPhone 18
• iPhone Ultra
• MacBook Pro 14” M6
• iMac M6
• MacBook Pro OLED touchscreen
• iPad mini OLED
• AirPod Ultra (with camera)
• Beats headphones

With Apple's annual iPhone event around the corner, we're expecting a majority of that list to be announced next month. That includes the iPhone 18 Pro models, the iPhone Ultra, and the AirPods Ultra with cameras that were revealed in a leaked video this week.

The leaked code doesn't appear to have release dates, not that it would. With that in mind, of the devices on the list, the base model iPhone 18 and super-thin iPhone Air 2 likely won't debut until next spring with Apple's rumored split launch.

There are two interesting reveals in the OLED devices and the suite of smart home devices.

OLED MacBook and iPad mini

Apple doesn't release MacBooks until later in the fall, typically in mid-October. The most recent leaks have suggested that Apple will add the MacBook to its burgeoning "Ultra" line.

The Apple MacBook Ultra is supposed to debut this year with an OLED touchscreen panel and the M6 chipset. The OLED panel and touchscreen would be among three firsts for Apple laptops, including a new iPhone-esque Dynamic Island. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has suggested that it will also get a redesign, though he declined to elaborate on what Apple is changing.

As for the iPad mini, the OLED redesign has been rumored for a couple of years, but recent rumors have settled on an October debut. The big change is the screen, but it should also feature a faster chip. So far, rumors haven't revealed any other changes.

Apple's Smart Home ambitions

Since Apple revealed Apple Intelligence in 2024, rumors about an AI-boosted suite of smart home devices have been repeatedly leaked, though the delay of Siri 2.0 seemingly kept getting in the way.

It's being built around a new version of the Apple HomePod. Per MacRumors, this code leak potentially revealed two versions of the HomePod: one that mounts on the wall and one with a built-in base that may or may not be a speaker with essentially an iPad on it.

One of the code names, "B525" apparently refers to what may be the HomePod mini 2, as the current version had a B520 codename.

The Apple Security Camera is both a surprise since it hasn't really been revealed previously, but also not that shocking. At WWDC 2026, Apple announced an upgrade to Apple Home Secure Video that adds AI for natural language search, detailed video descriptions and more. Apple is clearly thinking about security cameras.

The other interesting reference is to something labeled Pebble, which may be a smart home OS that we had previously seen codenamed as "Charismatic."

New Apple TV 4K and Siri remote

The one I'm most curious about is the long-rumored next-generation Apple TV 4K set-top streaming box Apparently, the code reveals a new, upgraded Siri remote too.

The code doesn't reveal any changes, but it seems to suggest that an Apple TV update is coming after years of rumors. Some rumors have suggested the new streaming box could have a camera for FaceTime calls.

Otherwise, we're mostly expecting internal upgrades with the rumored N2 chip for better Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, and at the very least the A17 Pro chip, though I expect something higher at this point.

We'll be tracking all of these potential devices in the coming months, with the iPhone lineup the first to hit in September.

More from Tom's Guide

• iPhone Ultra trade-offs: The biggest things you’re not getting versus iPhone 18 Pro
• I found the 15 best Apple deals in Best Buy's massive 60th Anniversary sale — AirPods, Apple Watches, MacBooks and more
• iPhone Ultra leakers reveal new details around release and 'extremely limited' availability

Sure, there were more powerful PCs at the time — and most of my friends were using Windows — but my Mac never crashed and it was powerful enough to run my favorite first-person shooter: the Apple exclusive Bungie Marathon (1994). So I took pride in being part of the Apple minority.

Fast forward to 2026 and I'm still a loyal Mac user primarily working on an M4 Pro-based Mac mini. Throughout the years I've also owned iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, and iMacs. Yes, I've dabbled with Windows machines and Android smartphones, but there's something about Apple's closed ecosystem that just makes my life easier and well worth the price of admission.

My wallet, however, may disagree. Apple devices are renown for being pricier than their Windows and Android based counterparts. Fortunately, there are many ways to save on Apple gear. In fact, I always make it a point to avoid paying full price for my Apple kit and below I'm sharing my favorite tips and tricks.

Trade-in that old Mac

Trading in old devices is hands-down my favorite way to save on new Apple purchases. Whether it's an old iPhone or a gently-used MacBook, if you're willing to part with it —the Apple Store will give you an instant store credit for your device. You can trade-in iPhones, Apple Watches, iPads, Macs, and even Android smartphones. You can trade-in your device in person at your local Apple Store or online.

Just head over to the Apple Trade-In website to start the process. I also recommend the Best Buy Trade-In program, which is pretty straightforward and provides quotes on the spot. My only advice is that you shop around for the best offer. For example, sometimes you might get a juicier offer from an Authorized Apple reseller than the Apple Store.

Don't buy current-gen

I get it. Nothing beats owning a flagship device. The speedier performance, the thinner design, the brighter display — it's enough to make you want to upgrade each time. However, these days you don't need to. My four-year old Apple Watch 8 still runs like new and if my iMac 5K supported the latest macOS updates, I'd still be using it.

One of the easiest ways to save on Mac purchases is by opting for a previous-generation device. It can easily save you $100 if not more. It's worth noting that the Apple Store doesn't always carry previous-gen tech, so when shopping for older generations I tend to rely on retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. They won't always have stock, but with a little digging around you'll be able to find a cheaper version of Apple's current flagship.

Go big on your purchase

Apple devices are renown for lasting a long time. (I tend to get at least 5 years from mine). So when it comes time to purchasing a new device, I always recommended spending a little more for the upgraded model. This is more important that ever because today's Macs are no longer user upgradeable.

So if you want to squeeze the most life out of your device, I recommend buying big. For example, when I purchased my Mac mini, I splurged on the M4 Pro CPU and upgraded both my RAM and SSD. My iMac 5K lasted me nearly a decade before I upgraded, so I'm hoping to get the same or similar lifespan from my current machine.

Take advantage of student discounts

Apple's Education Store discount is available year-round. Depending on what you're buying, you can save as much as $100 if you can verify your student status. In the past, I've actually recommended people avoid it because you can usually find better dollar-off discounts at authorized retailers like Amazon or Best Buy. However, since Apple's summer price hike, Apple deals have been a little harder to come by.

Additionally, the Apple Back to School Sale is underway through August 27, so in addition to that student discount you'll also get from a $100 to $150 Apple gift card on select purchases. That sweetens the deal even more. For example, the Apple Education Store has the MacBook Air M5 on sale for $1,199. That's $100 off and you also get a free $100 Apple gift card. Sure, Amazon offers the same price, but there's no freebie gift card. Likewise, the Apple Education Store has the MacBook Neo on sale for $599, which is $100 off. There's no gift card included with this offer, but I can guarantee you that no retailer is taking $100 off the MacBook Neo anytime soon.

Don't be afraid of refurbished

As a germophobe, I used to cringe at the idea of buying used tech. However, buying refurbished Apple gear is a great way to help your bank account and the planet. Apple restores and/or replaces everything during the refurbishing process, so my unfounded fear of getting a device with a random hair or grease stain on it is baseless.

In fact, the Apple Store is known for the excellent condition of its refurbished products and everything is backed by a 1-year Apple warranty. (That's the same warranty you'd get if you were to purchase a new Apple device). At the time of this writing, you can find MacBook Airs from $1,019 and MacBook Neos from $599.

Best Apple Deals Now

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Things will kick off with a refreshed entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro featuring the new M6 chip, along with a new iMac that will also sport the yet-to-be-announced processor. Development of these Macs is reportedly complete, but they aren’t likely to ship until the fall.

The next biggest release should be higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBooks with OLED panels and a new design. These brand-new editions to the MacBook line will have M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. Apple will reportedly release these MacBooks in late 2026 or early 2027.

New MacBook Air models are expected early in 2027. These 13- and 15-inch laptops will apparently resemble the current models, though Apple is reportedly developing an OLED model for 2028. There will be another MacBook Pro with a new design and packing an M7 chip sometime in 2027.

Additionally, Apple is working on a refreshed MacBook Neo. This model reportedly runs on the updated A19 Pro chip and more RAM. The report doesn’t say anything about pricing or when this laptop will launch.

Gurman’s report also says that a new iMac with an OLED screen is in the works, but won’t be released until later. Apple is also planning new Mac mini and Mac Studio models with refreshed chips. This includes the M5 Pro and M6 for the Mac mini, and the M5 Max and M5 Ultra for the Mac Studio.

Outlook

As always, take this report with a grain of salt, as Apple hasn’t made any official announcements about these Mac models. There’s certainly a lot to look forward to if all of this is accurate, though with the ongoing RAM crisis, it’s anyone’s guess when these computers will actually release and how much they’ll cost. As always, stay tuned for more as we hear further reports.

More from Tom's Guide

• What you need to know about the rumored 'Apple Upgrade' program
• Apple finally threw Android users a bone with this new iOS 27 photo feature
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Expected to launch this Fall, macOS Golden Gate primarily focuses on updating Apple Intelligence and Siri, with the latter now officially called Siri AI. You don’t get many new features, but improvements to Liquid Glass’s readability, easier customization, and smoother performance make for an overall better experience.

While Apple’s public betas are generally more stable than the developer builds, it might still be buggy and could cause issues for your Mac. I’ve never experienced serious issues using any of these betas over the years, but it’s worth being cautious. With that said, here’s how to download the macOS Golden Gate public beta.

How to download the macOS Golden Gate developer beta

Downloading the macOS Golden Gate public beta is pretty simple. First, enroll your Apple ID in Apple's Beta Program and make sure your Mac is compatible. Here's the full list of Macs that can install and run macOS Golden Gate:

• MacBook Neo (2026)
• MacBook Air with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
• MacBook Pro with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
• iMac with Apple silicon (2021 and later)
• Mac mini with Apple silicon (2020 and later)
• Mac Studio with Apple silicon (2022 and later)
• Mac Pro with Apple silicon (2023 and later)

That’s all that’s required to download the macOS Golden Gate public beta. Your Mac will restart once the download finishes. After that, you can start trying out all the new features. Depending on your connection speed, the download might take a few minutes, so be patient.

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Still, just like they often do with other Apple products, accessory makers were quick to try and fix its biggest flaws: an inaccessible power button and the lack of full-sized ports. While Cupertino wanted you to leave your new machine running full-time and toss out all your USB-A cables, many people like myself just weren’t ready to be that drastic.

That’s why the first accessory I added to my new desktop was a USB hub that doubled as a stand. I had one on my older M2 model for the same reason, so when Satechi released an upgraded version for this new completely redesigned Apple mini PC, I was ecstatic.

After using Satechi’s M4 Hub & Stand for months, I eventually swapped it out for a similar accessory from Orico that transformed my Mac mini into a miniature Mac Pro. Both devices worked well, but recently, I decided to give one more dock a chance, and I’m glad I did.

I didn’t expect to like this add-on from a company best known for its chargers and NAS devices, but Ugreen just might have made the most useful one yet. Here’s why.

Docked and fully loaded

At first glance, I wouldn’t blame you for mistaking Ugreen’s Mac mini M4 dock for Satechi’s. Both have a similar design and a matching silver finish, but Ugreen trades a third USB-A port up front for a full-sized SD card reader sitting next to a microSD one. It’s also slightly taller, measuring at just over an inch versus Satechi's sleeker, sub-inch height.

The one thing that really surprised me about Ugreen’s dock, though, is that it isn’t made from aluminum like Satechi’s. Instead, it’s entirely made from plastic with a very convincing paint job. Although this might sound like a downgrade at first, by opting for plastic over anodized aluminum, Ugreen solved one of the biggest issues docks like this have when sitting under your Mac mini: signal interference. From Wi-Fi to Bluetooth, having a big block of metal underneath one of the best mini PCs can significantly hamper your connections.

When you flip Ugreen’s dock over, you can easily add more storage to your Mac mini without having to pay the Apple Tax. Unlike Satechi’s hub, which caps out at 4TB, you can add up to an 8TB drive here. Now, I know that’s easier said than done, as we’re currently living through RAMageddon which has also greatly affected storage prices. However, it’s nice to have the option to add all that extra room, and who knows — maybe once the AI boom dies down, you just might be able to.

Besides that extra storage potential, it’s the rear ports that convinced me to give Ugreen’s dock a try in the first place. While Satechi keeps all of its connectivity up front and leaves the back bare, Ugreen did the complete opposite. You still get the hardwired USB-C cable that plugs into your Mac mini to get things started, but the back expands into even more ports than you do on the best MacBooks, including three more USB-A ports and two USB-C ones.

Interestingly, Ugreen also included another USB-C port on the back. Instead of using it to connect more accessories, it’s designed to plug directly into a power adapter, as the “IN 5V” label underneath it suggests. You see, with an 11-in-1 hub like this one, there’s no way you’d be able to reliably run all of those rear connections, the front card readers, and a high-speed SSD off the Mac mini’s bus power alone. By plugging Ugreen’s dock into a power strip underneath your desk, you completely avoid slow data transfer speeds, disconnected peripherals, and worst of all, random SSD disconnects that could corrupt your data.

If all those rear ports and extra power weren’t enough, Ugreen’s Mac mini M4 dock has one more trick up its sleeve that completely took me by surprise.

Power with a twist

As I’m currently in the process of reviewing MSI’s new Pro Max QD-OLED Mac monitor, I decided to set up my Mac mini M4 with Ugreen’s dock next to it. However, as this is one of the rare Mac monitors you can also play PC games on — unlike Apple’s new Studio Display XDR — I also have the Khadas Mind 2S with the company’s Mind Graphics 2 eGPU next to it.

In my testing, Ugreen’s dock for the Mac mini M4 worked in a similar way to Satechi’s. It gave me quick access to full-sized ports and an SD card reader without having to use a bulky dongle. One thing I prefer about it, though, is that with Ugreen’s dock, I can hide the 2.4GHz USB dongles for my keyboard and trackball mouse at the rear instead of having them front and center like with Satechi’s dock. Likewise, if you need to run cables from the back of your Mac mini behind your desk, this dock is the better option hands down.

I didn’t think to test and compare the Wi-Fi speeds on my Mac mini when using these two docks. However, with Ugreen’s, I didn’t notice any interference at all, nor did my speeds dip down. If you want me to put both docks through a Wi-Fi speed showdown, let me know in the comments below.

Even though I’ve come to terms with the Mac mini’s awkward power button placement after leaving it on for over a month, it’s still nice to be able to easily reach it. While Satechi has a standard cutout to make it more accessible, Ugreen took things a step further.

At the top left corner of Ugreen’s dock, there’s a physical plastic pass-through lever that makes pressing the Mac mini’s power button almost effortless. A simple press up and your Mac mini magically springs to life, while holding it down while the device is on brings up Apple’s shutdown menu. It’s a small detail, but in my day-to-day use, it made a noticeable difference.

Now, if you’re thinking about adding this dock underneath your own Mac mini, you do need to be careful. You see, Ugreen actually makes two docks for this mini PC, not just a single one. The $89 base version doesn’t have an SSD slot on the bottom, nor does it have this lever. Instead, it uses a basic cutout just like Satechi’s.

For $10 more, though, you can get the dock I have here which supports up to an 8TB SSD. Because it houses that drive, it’s slightly taller, hence the inclusion of that ingenious power button lever at the back.

A final docking place

There are only so many times you can redo your Mac mini M4 setup, and after years of experimentation, I think I’ve finally found my forever dock.

While I love how Satechi’s standard dock is an exact match to the design and materials Apple used, its lack of rear ports and smaller SSD capacity hold it back. Alternatively, you could pair your Mac mini with Satechi’s Thunderbolt 5 CubeDock if you want even more power, much higher data bandwidth and support for up to an 8TB SSD. Then again, that professional powerhouse costs $399 on its own, whereas all of these other docks sit comfortably under $100.

Orico’s dock, on the other hand, is as much of an enclosure for Apple’s mini PC as it is a dock. I’ll admit, it did look really cool on my desk. However, it forces your Mac mini into an awkward sideways position, meaning you lose out on seeing the beauty and compactness of Apple’s redesign. It does support up to an 8TB SSD, but you are ultimately left with fewer ports overall.

Having tried all three of these options for extended periods, Ugreen’s is my favorite yet, and for good reason. Those extra ports and having them hidden at the back really make a massive difference. At the same time, since it can be independently powered, I know that all of my connected devices won’t be constantly fighting for wattage.

You really can’t go wrong with any of these docks, but the right one for you will depend entirely on your specific workflow. If you just managed to pick up a new Mac mini or you’re looking to give your current setup a serious upgrade, at least you have plenty of great options.

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Cook will help transition Ternus this summer and will likely host WWDC 2026, which kicks off in June.

“It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be the CEO of Apple and to have been trusted to lead such an extraordinary company. I love Apple with all of my being" Cook said in a press release.

Tim Cook has led Apple for the past 14 years since Steve Jobs resigned in 2011. In total, Cook has worked at Apple over 25 years.

Ternus joined Apple in 2001 as part of the company's product design team and became the VP of hardware engineering in 2013.

"Having spent almost my entire career at Apple, I have been lucky to have worked under Steve Jobs and to have had Tim Cook as my mentor," Ternus said. "I am filled with optimism about what we can achieve in the years to come."

Who is John Ternus?

John Ternus has been a front runner to take over the head seat for awhile now, and currently is the youngest top executive at the company at 50 years old. Assuming things go well, he could have an equally long tenure.

The rise of Ternus suggests the company is looking for a more hardware and engineering focused future.

Ternus joined the executive team in 2021 when he became the the senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. He has overseen the production and introduction of a number of product lines including the iPad, AirPods and several generations of the iPhone, Mac and Apple Watch.

He unveiled the M1 chip, Apple's first in-house designed CPU in 2020, and the iPhone Air last year.

Ternus' most recent impact was with the MacBook Neo, Apple's take on a budget-friendly laptop that quickly made an imprint on that category and has sold out so quickly

"“We’re always focused on ‘how do we make a given product better,’” said Ternus in an interview with Tom's Guide. “We’re always pushing. And we never think like, ‘well, what impact if we did something here would have on a product over here?’”

What's next for Apple?

Ternus will take over at an interesting, and somewhat fraught time for Apple and tech as a whole.

Tim Cook has already been navigating the tariff situation, and now the ongoing Iran War. There's also the RAM crisis which isn't expected to abate until 2028, at the earliest. Apple has seemingly been on top of things but reports have shown that even Apple is eating costs associated with sky high memory prices.

Meanwhile, the 20th anniversary of the iPhone is coming next year and rumors suggest it will be a huge change. Plus, Apple is expected to debut its first pair of smart glasses later this year and the first foldable iPhone this September.

Both devices are new categories for Apple that come at a time when price hikes, memory shortages, and AI are the talk of tech.

It'll be interesting to see how Ternus navigates these choppy waters while trying to bring new enthusiasm to the company.

Johny Srouji named Apple's Chief Hardware Officer

As Ternus transitions to CEO, Apple also announced a new head of hardware in Johny Srouji.

“Johny has been an incredible partner on the executive team, and is going to be an extraordinary chief hardware officer,” said incoming Apple CEO John Ternus in a press release. “I look forward to continuing to work closely with him in our new roles.”

Srouji joined Apple in 2008 and led development of the A4 chip, Apple's first in-house iPhone silicon. Since then he has been in charge of hardware engineering teams from silicon and batteries to cameras and sensors.

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As reported by Tom’s Hardware, the AI infrastructure and developer tools startup Photon recently discovered a “ticking time bomb” that affects every Mac. Fortunately, though, this isn’t a security bug that can be exploited by hackers. Instead, it’s the kind of bug that could leave you scratching your head if you use one of the best MacBooks and leave your laptop on for over a month at a time.

According to a blog post from Photon, “every Mac has a hidden expiration date.” No, your Mac won’t become unusable, and you won’t have to upgrade to a new machine. However, “after exactly 49 days, 17 hours, 2 minutes and 47 seconds of continuous uptime,” macOS experiences an “integer overflow” that “freezes the internal TCP timestamp clock.”

But what does this mean for the average Mac user? Well, once your machine has been running for exactly this long, existing TCP network connections won’t expire as they normally should. Essentially, this means that your Mac won’t be able to connect to the internet, which is why many of us get a computer in the first place.

Photon likely let Apple know once it discovered this issue, and the firm is currently working on its own solution. However, there’s an easy fix that won’t require an update or bringing your Mac to an Apple Store.

A simple workaround

If you’re worried about your Mac losing internet connectivity, don’t be. The issue itself stems from integer overflow, where your Mac’s TCP timestamp clock keeps counting until it reaches a max value of 4,294,967,295 seconds or 49.7 days.

To get around this, all you have to do is reboot your Mac before the 49-day mark, and everything will be fine. Just like on one of the best iPhones, you should reboot your Mac every week. To make things easier, you can even schedule your Mac to turn off and on.

Besides fixing this specific macOS bug, a reboot also flushes memory leaks, clears system caches and temp files, cools down the machine and resets peripheral controllers, which can help rectify other odd glitches with Bluetooth and USB-C docks.

Apple isn’t alone here either, as Windows 98 also crashed after 49.7 days of uptime. Likewise, when it comes to running out of digits while counting, this same issue is why we were all so worried about Y2K back in 1999, and it’s also why the year 2038 could lead to similar concerns when Unix is no longer able to measure time for the same reason. But that’s a problem for another day.

I’m sure that Apple is aware of this issue and is taking steps to address it, hopefully in the next big macOS update. In the meantime, though, just remember to give your Mac a reboot every seven days, and you’ll be perfectly fine.

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That said, any discounts that undercut Apple devices by 10% or more are worth cheering for, and these killer prices I've just found are no exception.

Now celebrating its fiftieth year, Apple has cheekily discounted a range of its best-sellers on Amazon. With up to 40% off Apple Watches, MacBooks, iPhones, iPads, and accompanying accessories, Apple's Amazon storefront has a complete list of discounted items.

To get you started on finding your next Apple product, I've handpicked my favourite nine deals below. With hot prices across the latest Apple Watch 11, AirPods 4 and iPhone Air, these discounts aren't exclusive to older products, which is a big win in my book.

You'll need to act fast to secure an Apple bargain, though — these Amazon prices won't stick around too long!

Apple confirmed to 9to5Mac that it will no longer be offering the Mac Pro, and that there are no plans to develop new models.

With this week's discontinuation that drops Apple's desktop lineup to three devices:

• 24-inch iMac M4
• Mac mini M4 or M4 Pro
• Mac Studio with M4 Max or M3 Ultra

Plus the three laptops; MacBook Neo, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro.

A short history

The cheese greater Mac Pro debuted in 2019 alongside the Pro Display XDR (also recently discontinued). The original version was powered by an Intel Xeon W chipset, featuring 32GB of ram and 256GB SSD. A $52,000 version had a 28 core Intel Xeon W chip with 1.5TB of RAM and a 4TB SSD.

The last update it got was in 2023, when Apple refreshed the model with the M2 Ultra chip, and priced it at $6,999. As recently as June 2025 it was rumored that a new M5-powered Mac Pro would arrive this year and a low-end Mac Pro. With a lack of significant updates, the writing has been on the wall for the Mac Pro for a couple of years now.

Perhaps wait on a Mac Studio

If you're looking for a high-end Apple desktop, all we have left is the Mac Studio, but you may want to wait on upgrading. Currently, Apple offers the Studio in mismatched M4 Max and M3 Ultra CPU options.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has claimed that an M5 Ultra-powered Mac Studio is coming this year. Though, he hedged that it will arrive after Apple announced the M5 Ultra and Max chipsets.

At the beginning of March, Apple revealed the new MacBook Pro M5 Pro and M5 Max, but has yet to announce the M5 Ultra. In previous years, Apple launched its M ultra chips in March for the M1 and M3, with the M2 Ultra debuting in June.

It's possible that Apple could reveal the M5 Ultra at WWDC 2026, which takes place June 8 - 12.

If that's the case, Apple may debut the Mac Studio M5 Ultra this October when it typically reveals its new MacBooks and MacBook Pro laptops. This year's versions have been rumored to feature an M6 chip and OLED display.

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Released back in 2024, the Mac mini M4 also starts at $599 (with that same education discount available). Sure, you will need a separate monitor along with a keyboard and mouse but chances are, you probably already have a display and your existing peripherals will likely work with macOS. While the MacBook Neo is arguably the best budget laptop you can get right now, the Mac mini M4 is one of the best mini PCs overall.

If you don’t plan on bringing the Neo with you and will mostly be using it at home, then the Mac mini M4 becomes a much more compelling option. Then it just comes down to whether or not you prefer to be anchored to a desk or sitting on the couch when using your computer. Although you’re paying $599 for either machine, one comes equipped with a mobile chip while the other uses a full-blow desktop chip that’s significantly more powerful.

Now that we’ve tested and reviewed the MacBook Neo, we can see how it stacks up against Apple’s smallest Mac mini yet. If you only have $599 to spend on a new Mac, read this first before you rush out and buy the Neo as the Mac mini M4 is an equally impressive machine.

MacBook Neo vs Mac mini M4: Specs

MacBook Neo vs Mac mini M4: Design

The design of these two Macs couldn’t be more different. While the MacBook Neo is a 13-inch laptop, the Mac mini M4 is a compact mini PC that Apple redesigned in 2024 to be its smallest Mac ever.

Despite being the most affordable MacBook yet, the Neo borrows quite a lot from the aesthetic of the MacBook Air. It sports a fanless design, an ultra-thin chassis made from aluminum and comes with rounded corners for a more modern look.

In addition to Silver, the Neo is also available in three vibrant shades: Blush (pink), Indigo (deep blue), and Citrus (yellow). Meanwhile, like other desktop Macs, the Mac mini M4 only comes in Silver.

At 2.7 pounds, the Neo is very light and extremely portable which makes it easy to slip into a backpack. On the other hand, the Mac mini M4 is technically lighter at just 1.5 pounds. However, since you’ll need a monitor along with a keyboard and mouse, it’s not nearly as easy to bring with you.

On the MacBook Neo, you get two USB-C ports and a headphone jack on the left side of the laptop with no ports on the right side at all.

Unlike with the previous model, Apple decided to add ports to the front of the Mac mini M4 and just like on the Neo, there are two USB-C ports as well as a headphone jack. Around back though, the Mac mini M4 comes equipped with three Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI port, a gigabit Ethernet port and a power port.

When it comes to power, the Mac mini M4 can only be powered using the AC port at the back and the included power cable. The Neo comes with a compact 20W charger and is capped at a slower charging speed so you can’t use a higher-wattage one to quickly charge it.

You can use either of the Neo’s USB-C ports for charging. However, the front one is the better option for charging as it’s a slower USB 2.0 port while the one at the rear is USB 3 and can be used to connect to an external display or for an external SSD.

The keyboard on the Neo feels great to type on with 1mm of travel but it isn’t backlit. On the base model, you also don’t get Touch ID like on more expensive MacBooks.

If you want to use your fingerprint to login or for authentication instead of entering your password, then you’re going to need to spend an extra $100 on a Neo with this functionality and extra storage. Likewise, the Neo has a mechanical trackpad instead of a Force Touch one like on the MacBook Air.

MacBook Neo vs Mac mini M4: Performance

Performance varies greatly between the MacBook Neo and the Mac mini M4, as they’re powered by entirely different classes of silicon. While the Mac mini uses the desktop-grade M4 chip, Apple brought the Neo’s price down to $599 by using the A18 Pro — the same mobile processor that powered the iPhone 16 Pro back in 2024.

In our lab tests, both chips showed comparable single-core performance. This means for 'burst' tasks like opening apps or loading a heavy webpage, both Macs will feel equally snappy. However, the Mac mini M4 pulls ahead in multi-core workloads, making it the superior choice for video editing or heavy multitasking.

The biggest performance divider isn't just the chip, but the memory. The $599 Mac mini M4 ships with 16GB of RAM as standard, whereas the Neo is stuck with 8GB and there’s no way to upgrade. In our real-world stress test, the Neo began to struggle once we hit 20 open browser tabs, leading to sluggishness and tab reloads. The Mac mini, with double the memory, handled twice that load without breaking a sweat.

Thermals also play a big role when it comes to performance. The Neo’s fanless design makes it completely silent, but it will eventually throttle or slow down during long 4K video exports or heavy gaming sessions to stay cool. The Mac mini M4 features an internal fan that, while near-silent, allows it to maintain peak performance indefinitely.

MacBook Neo vs Mac mini M4: Display

The MacBook Neo has a 13-inch LED-backlit panel with a 2408 x 1506 resolution at 219 pixels per inch (ppi). As such, it meets Apple’s “Retina” standard and it’s also quite bright at 500 nits. Still, even with this extra brightness, you’re better off using it indoors since it has a glossy finish and you can’t upgrade to Apple’s Nano-Texture glass option like you can with more expensive MacBooks.

With only one high-speed USB-C port, you’re limited to connecting the Neo to a single external display. Likewise, you’re also stuck at 60Hz which means you won’t be able to take full advantage of high refresh rate monitors that go up to 120Hz — like Apple’s new Studio Display XDR — or even higher.

You don’t get a display with the Mac mini but thanks to the power of the M4 chip driving it, you can connect up to three external displays at the same time. When it comes to their resolution, you can run two displays at 6K at 60Hz and a third at 5K at 60Hz over Thunderbolt 4. There’s also an HDMI port around back that can output at 4K at 60Hz. Likewise, if you only want to run a single monitor, the Mac mini M4 can actually drive an 8K display at 60Hz or a 4K display at 240Hz.

Using the Neo with a single, large external display will likely be enough for most people. However, if you want to run a dual or even a triple-monitor setup for maximum productivity, then the Mac mini M4 is the better option.

MacBook Neo vs Mac mini M4: Graphics

Both the MacBook Neo and the Mac mini M4 are surprisingly capable gaming machines for $599, thanks to their support for hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading. However, while the Neo often relies on MetalFX upscaling to hit playable framerates, the Mac mini M4 has the raw horsepower to push higher settings natively.

Since the Neo uses the A18 Pro, it handles AAA titles that have been ported to iOS remarkably well. In our testing, Resident Evil 4 and the long-awaited Hollow Knight: Silksong played surprisingly well on the Neo's 13-inch screen. You can also tap into the entire Apple Arcade library, including the newly released Oceanhorn 3: Legend of the Shadow Sea, which looks beautiful on the Neo's glossy Retina display.

However, Cyberpunk 2077 pushed this budget MacBook to its absolute limits. Since the Neo is fanless, it began to thermally throttle after about 20 minutes of gameplay, causing the framerate to dip into the low 20s. The 8GB of RAM also led to occasional stutters in open-world sections.

The Mac mini M4 is a much better option for extended play sessions. With 10 GPU cores and 16GB of RAM as standard, it didn’t slow down at all during our hour-long Cyberpunk stress test. Its internal fan kept the temperature stable, allowing the M4 to maintain its clock speeds indefinitely. If you’re a casual gamer who wants to play indie hits or mobile ports on the go, the Neo is a delight. However, if you want a machine that can actually act as a budget gaming PC at your desk, the Mac mini M4 is the clear winner.

MacBook Neo vs Mac mini M4: Outlook

Switching to Mac has never been easier with two excellent options for the same $599 price. However, choosing between the two isn’t necessarily about which one is better, but rather where you plan on working.

The MacBook Neo is the most affordable MacBook yet and as such, it’s the perfect laptop for students, writers and travelers that need a machine they can go from a backpack to open on a table in seconds. You are giving up raw power for portability but in return, you’re getting a beautifully designed laptop with a 13-inch retina display that blows most budget Windows laptops and especially Chromebooks out of the water.

Now if you want a desktop workstation on a budget and already have a monitor and the necessary peripherals, then the Mac mini M4 is a more powerful though stationary computer. With double the RAM and a desktop-class chip, it’s ideal for multitasking and more demanding workloads. Plus, thanks to its internal fan, it won’t throttle under pressure.

Ultimately, the choice between the newer MacBook Neo or the slightly older Mac mini M4 comes down to whether you value portability or power more. If you need a computer you can bring with you or even move from room to room easily, then the Neo is the better choice. However, if you don’t mind working at a desk and paying a bit more for a monitor and peripherals (if you don’t have them already), then the Mac mini M4 is still an excellent option.

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As part of streamlining the devices it sells, the company discontinued 15 existing devices. Surprisingly, not every device is years old. The oldest was released in 2019, while the most recent only debuted six months ago.

Here's the list of 15 discontinued products:

• iPhone 16e with A18 (2025)
• 11-inch iPad Air with M3 (2025)
• 13-inch iPad Air with M3 (2025)
• 13-inch MacBook Air with M4 (2025)
• 15-inch MacBook Air with M4 (2025)
• 13-inch MacBook Pro with M5 and 512GB storage (2025)
• 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro (2024)
• 16-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro (2024)
• 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Max (2024)
• 16-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Max (2024)
• Mac Studio with M3 Ultra and 512GB memory (2025)
• Studio Display with A13 Bionic (2022)
• Pro Display XDR (2019)
• Pro Stand for Pro Display XDR (2019)
• Pro Display XDR VESA Mount Adapter (2019)

For the most part, the Apple is just swapping one product for its updated version. The iPhone 16e gets the boot for the 17e. The M3 iPad Air has been replaced by the M4 version, the same for the M4 MacBook Air models which have been replaced with M5 MacBook Airs.

The surprising discontinuation is the 512GB MacBook Pro M5, which was announced in October 2025 for $1,599. Instead, the new base model features 1TB of internal storage, and costs $1,699.

It's unclear if this related to the ongoing memory crisis that is reducing storage and RAM options for many companies.

Finally, we have the two oldest devices: the original Studio Display from 2022 and the Pro Display XDR (released in 2019), which were replaced by the new Studio Display XDR and an updated base version.

What does discontinued mean for your devices?

Unlike Apple's vintage or obsolete devices, discontinuation just means the company no longer sells these products through official channels. However, they are still eligible for software updates, repairs and support for at least five to seven years after their initial release date.

Apple typically places devices on its vintage list around five years after the company stops selling them. At that point, they're unlikely to get software updates, and repairs will only be available as long as parts are available. So if you own any of these discontinued products, you still have some time before you need to consider an upgrade.

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From the refreshed iPhone 17e to new iPads, we expect to see a variety of devices, including a new budget-friendly MacBook to take on Chromebooks and cheaper Windows notebooks. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman confirmed a number of new devices in his PowerOn newsletter, many of which we've covered. Here's what Apple should release soon — and what's on the horizon.

iPhones: iPhone 17e

Apple's e-series is going to be an annual spring release with the second version launching this year in the iPhone 17e. Most of the changes with this model will reportedly be internal with new chips and the addition of MagSafe charging.

It should get the A19 chip from the iPhone 17 plus the Apple-developed C1 modem and N1 wireless chip. This means the iPhone 17e should support Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread - the smart home low-power mesh.

Unfortunately, the iPhone 17e may retain the $599 of the 16e, which makes it not quite as budget-friendly as you'd like a downgraded iPhone to be.

As my colleague Tom Pritchard noted, "It may be a cheap iPhone, but we've seen cheaper, and I'm wondering whether buying a used flagship iPhone is a better use of your money."

Later this fall, we expect to see the iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max and the iPhone Fold launch in September.

iPads: Entry-level, Air, Mini

Gurman claims that at least three refreshed iPad models are coming this year, including a new base model, iPad Air and an updated iPad mini.

Like the 17e, the biggest upgrades will all be internal. All three are expected to get the new in-house Apple wireless and modem chips. Additionally, they should get faster processors. Gurman claimed they would get the A18 chip, but an earlier report based on leaked internal documents indicated that the iPads would get the newer A19 chipset or the M4 chip.

The base model will get the A19, while the iPad Air will get the M4 set.

Finally, at the end of 2025, it was rumored that the iPad mini 8 will get an OLED upgrade, and it might feature the A20 Pro CPU that will feature in the iPhone 18 Pro later this year. The upgraded iPad mini isn't expected to launch until later this year after the iPhone 18 Pro launch.

MacBooks: Budget, M5 Air, and new Pro models

Apple launched its MacBook Pro M5 in October last year but was missing the M5 Pro and M5 Max/Ultra models. The most current rumors have set the high-end Pro models to launch as early as the week of March 2. We expect the MacBook Air M5 to launch around this time as well.

The more interesting potential release is the rumored cheap MacBook meant to take on low-cost Windows laptops and Google Chromebooks. Rumors have slated this budget MacBook to cost around $599, likely as a way for Apple to kneecap the refurbished market for deals like the M1 MacBook Air from Walmart.

The laptop should have a 12-inch to 13-inch display and run on the A18 Pro chipset, though that is speculation. I haven't seen a release date in the rumor mill, but I would put a couple bucks on it launching alongside the iPhone 17e, creating a "budget ecosystem" for Apple. Possibly, it could debut as part of a week of MacBooks with the Pro models.

Finally, on the computing front, Apple could finally release an updated Studio Display and Mac Studio desktops. Allegedly, new Mac minis, likely with the M5 chip, are on the docket as well. It's not clear when these devices will launch. Plus, an OLED MacBook Pro M6 is rumored to launch at some point this year, likely in October, its usual window.

iOS 26.4: Siri 2.0, iOS 27

One of our complaints about the 16e was the high price point and the lack of actual Apple Intelligence, thanks to Apple's struggles with AI and creating a true Siri 2.0.

That version should finally launch with iOS 26.4, likely in March, which will include upgrades to Siri. The real upgrade probably won't launch until WWDC 2026 in June when we'll learn more about iOS 27 and the Google Gemini partnership to bolster Apple Intelligence.

All in all, it's a busy season for the tech giant, and Tom's Guide will be there to cover all the new devices and help you decide if it's time to upgrade.

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The Apple Magic Mouse with its oddly placed charging port immediately sprung to mind. At least with a wireless mouse though, you don’t have to plug it in all that often. Now with one of the best mini PCs, a power button is integral to their daily use. Apple on the other hand saw things quite differently.

Shortly after the Mac mini M4’s launch, Apple’s SVP of Worldwide Marketing Greg Joswiak and SVP of Hardware Engineering John Ternus explained in an interview with IThome that the underside of the Mac mini M4 was the “optimal spot” for its power button due to the redesign. At the same time, they also noted that most Mac users never actually turn their devices off.

Although I used a Mac growing up and while in college, back when I reviewed the Mac mini M4, I had mostly been using Windows-based mini PCs. As such, I initially scoffed at the idea of never shutting down my computer and how Apple had practically made the device’s power button unreachable.

Now though, after using the Mac mini M4 for over a year I realized Apple just might have been right.

A non-optional accessory

Just like when I spent a week testing out the Mac mini M2 ahead of the release of this updated model, the first accessory I added to the Mac mini M4 was a USB-C powered dock and stand.

I know most people are fine using Bluetooth accessories these days but since I’m constantly switching between computers, I actually prefer one of the best mechanical keyboards and a trackball mouse with 2.4 GHz USB receivers. With three USB-A ports on the front, I even have one left over to plug in a flash drive. Likewise, with an SD card reader on the left, it’s easy to quickly take photos off my camera.

The Satechi Mac Mini M4 Stand & Hub also has another trick up its sleeve. When you flip it over, there’s a free slot where you can install up to a 4TB M.2 SSD. Doing so lets you get around paying the Apple Tax for extra storage. Also, thanks to the fact that the Mac mini M4 comes with 16GB of RAM as the new standard, you likely won’t have to jump up to an upgraded model since this accessory easily lets you add more storage space.

The other big problem the Satechi Stand & Hub solves is that you can now easily reach the Mac mini M4’s power button. Without it, you’d have to awkwardly tilt the device over on your desk anytime you wanted to power it back on after a shutdown.

Although I haven’t stopped using this accessory with my Mac mini M4 for over a year now, the cutout at the back isn’t the killer feature I initially thought it would be.

Powered on and forgotten

Even though I still think the Mac mini M4 is the best mini PC for most people and especially for Apple users, I’ve been using it less lately so that I can spend my time testing and reviewing other, Windows-based mini PCs.

When OpenAI rolled out its ChatGPT Atlas browser back in October of last year though, I was tasked with installing it and doing a hands-on. Since it was Mac-only at that time, I got it up and running on my Mac mini M4. Now if I had one of the best MacBooks on hand, it would have been a lot easier taking pictures of this new AI-powered browser running on a Mac. Instead, I ended up putting a new desk setup together just to do so.

To Apple’s credit, when I was done, I didn’t shut down the Mac mini M4. Instead, I let it go into sleep mode and that was that. Much to my surprise though, when I returned from CES 2026 last week, I saw its status light was still on. After a few taps on my keyboard, it instantly sprung back to life, completely oblivious to the fact that I had left it powered on for almost three months.

It was at that moment that it dawned on me, maybe Apple was right. With a new puppy in our game room sleeping where I previously worked, I’ve found myself working from the Mac mini M4 in the next room and letting it fall asleep on its own each night for the past week.

I think what surprised me the most though is that besides that small white indicator light, I wouldn’t have known Apple’s mini PC was sleeping as it’s completely quiet when doing so and it isn't a light sleeper like some of the Windows-based mini PCs I’ve tested and reviewed. It doesn’t “wake up” for updates or from overly sensitive peripherals.

Even when my son would bump into my desk when running over to check on the puppy, the Mac mini M4 never stirred. That was until I started typing on the keyboard in front of it.

From hidden to essential

Now that I fully understand Apple’s reasoning with the Mac mini M4’s power button placement, I’d still like to see some changes with the Mac mini M5 or whatever comes next. Instead of tucking it away on the underside of the device, what if Apple actually made it useful?

After reviewing the MSI Cubi NUC AI+ 2MG and loving the fingerprint scanner integrated into its power button, I’d love to see Apple do something similar with the next Mac mini. Right now, if you want to use Touch ID to do things like log in, use Apple Pay, install new software or buy apps from the Mac App Store, your only option is to purchase a Magic Keyboard with Touch ID separately. But imagine how much more useful this functionality would be if it was built right into your Mac?

Even if Apple doesn’t want to give up the biggest selling point of its most expensive keyboard, there are other ways the Mac mini’s power button could be useful. Given that we’re getting an upgraded and more intelligent Siri soon, imagine if a short press of the power button could bring that up while a long press could be used to shutdown your computer. The possibilities are really almost endless once you bring short, long and even double presses into the mix.

It might have taken me over a year, but now, I finally understand why Apple compromised with the placement of the Mac mini M4’s power button. I’d say I was going to shut down my computer now but given that it’s been on for months, I guess I’ll just step away from my keyboard and let it drift off to sleep.

More from Tom's Guide

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• Mac mini M4 — 4 reasons to buy and 3 reasons to skip
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Korean publisher The Elec reports that Apple is planning an OLED iMac, which would be a significant departure from the IPS LCD panels currently used in iMac devices. Though if you've ever used the latest iMac, you know that Apple has made the most of that screen tech to create a solid-looking display, and I expect the company will do the same with its first OLED iMac.

What we know about the new iMac OLED

Apple is apparently asking Samsung and LG, companies it typically partners with to make displays for its devices, for information on meeting the specs Apple has put forth.

Presumably, the display makers will be able to handle what Apple wants, and then it'll be a matter of Apple getting quotes to determine which company can meet the demands for a better price.

And what are those specs? Fortunately, the leak from The Elec contains the specs Apple has requested: "The iMac OLED specifications recently requested by Apple are known to be 24 inches, 600 nits of brightness, and 218PPI (Pixels Per Inch) in pixels," reads the request reported by the Korean publication.

If the iMac with an OLED display comes out, it would improve the all-in-one computer's brightness. In fact, based on the specs Apple is looking for in the report, the screen could be up to 20% brighter than the existing 24-inch iMac.

Before you get too excited, the report also suggests that because this is in the early stages, Apple won't finish the OLED iMac until 2027 or 2028, with a release window sometime after that.

The other bit of bad news is the 24-inch size mentioned in the specs. Apparently, Apple isn't looking into larger OLED displays for the iMac, as the OLED tech it's considering doesn’t support panels larger than 30 inches. If you've been holding out for a large iMac with an OLED, you might need to keep the hope burning for a while longer.

MacBook Pro OLED up first

Apple has gradually started switching its devices to OLED, but it hasn't gone all-in yet. First, the Apple Watch got the newer screen technology. From there, Apple started adding OLED to its beloved iPhone and iPad models.

On the back of its smartphones, the Cupertino company is expected to put OLED screens on the MacBook Pro M6. And it could also be the first MacBook with a touch screen display.

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Apple is reportedly developing a new iMac Pro featuring its M5 Max chipset, according to leaked internal software seen by MacRumors. The massive leak was the result of a prototype of iOS 26 that was accidentally sold, which contained a “ kernel debug kit” used by Apple’s engineers.

Typically, these systems label unreleased Apple devices using codenames or platform names. Sometimes they also include secondary references to chipsets or marketing names.

According to MacRumors, the software references an iMac codenamed J833c running platform H17C. H17C is a label associated with Sotra C, an alleged codename for the M5 Max chip. This line suggests that Apple is actively testing an iMac featuring the M5 Max.

There are other devices in the code like iPad minis running tvOS that are probably just used for internal Apple testing. However, the J833c codename appeared earlier this year in a different leak.

That July leak revealed every Mac product that could launch in 2026, including a variety of MacBooks and Mac Studios. However, that leak only showed the iMac featuring a standard M5 chip.

The M5 Pro and Max chips are expected to debut in 2026, and there have been rumors of Apple developing a high-end “Pro” iMac going all the way back to 2022. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has reported a few times that Apple is working on an iMac with a bigger screen.

Other Macs

Apparently, the leaked kit also confirmed a few other Mac devices that were highlighted in the July leak. It lists 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pros with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, a 14-inch MacBook Pro featuring an M6 chip, and 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M6 Pro and M6 Max chips.

Additionally, it also lists 13 and 15-inch M5 MacBook Air models, an M5 and M5 Pro Mac mini, and new Mac Studio models, which could feature the M5 Ultra chip. The rumored budget-friendly MacBook featuring an A18 Pro chip is also listed.

We’ll have to wait until next year to find out if some of these leaked Macs turn out to be real products, but for now, take all this info with a grain of salt. If you’re planning to upgrade to one of the best MacBooks, though, it might be worth waiting until next year if you want a new laptop with a more powerful M5 Max or Ultra chip inside.

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In general, products added to the list are actually more recent than the trash can desktop, but Apple sold that version of the Mac Pro for years. To be added to the vintage list a device has to be five years is produced and distributed for sale.

Apple sold the trash can Mac Pro until December of 2019 when it was replaced with the equally unique "cheesegrater" Mac Pro, a design that has largely stuck around since then.

At the time, the Mac Pro's cylindrical design was smaller than than the previous tower Mac Pro. However, the design was flawed with a lack of space to upgrade components like GPUs and RAM.

As MacRumors reported in 2017, even Apple had to admit that the design was a failure when it came to updating the system, even for Apple engineers.

"I think we designed ourselves into a bit of a thermal corner, if you will," said Craig Federighi said, who was then software engineering chief.

Beyond the turbine-looking Mac Pro, a few other Apple devices are now vintage:

• 2019 13-inch MacBook Air
• 2019 iMac
• 2018 11-inch iPad Pro
• 2018 third-generation 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌
• iPhone 8 128GB

Additionally, a number of devices are now considered obsolete. The transition occurs when a product has been considered vintage for two years. More accurately, devices are obsolete seven years after Apple discontinued them.

Most of this list includes Apple's long-dead AirPort routers.

• AirPort Express second generation, 2TB and 3TB
• AirPort Time Capsule 2TB
• AirPort Time Capsule 3TB
• 802.11ac AirPort Extreme

Apple will support vintage products with repairs if parts are available. However, once parts supplies are gone, repairs will no longer be offered. Obsolete devices won't be repaired by Apple Stores or Apple Authorized Service Providers.

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The problem affects devices manufactured between June 16, 2024 to November 23, 2024, but that's not an easy way to work out if yours is included. Instead, head over to Apple's Mac mini Service Program page and enter your serial number.

If your Apple Mac mini M2 (2023) has the problem that leads to a lot of nothing going on, then you'll be offered a free repair either with Apple direct or an authorized service partner — just fill in your details and go to an Apple Store or partner repair store.

Given the type of repair needed, it's likely that you'll be without your Mac mini for at least a couple of days, so it might be a good idea to keep a cheap laptop handy. Even if it's a Windows machine, you can still access a lot of your Apple data on iCloud.com.

What happened to the Mac mini M2 (2023)?

According to Apple's service program, the hardware issue was only introduced to the Mac mini M2 a year ago, with models manufactured between June and November 2024. So it's only just getting an 'official' problem status now.

However, Reddit user hkfan451 took to r/macmini in October 2024 to report that their brand new Mac mini M2 had a power issue and Apple wouldn't allow them to mail it in for repair (although you can now that the official service program is in operation).

It's not clear if that is the same issue that Apple has now acknowledged, but the timeline would match up. Though, some Mac minis have run into power issues that are unrelated to this manufacturing issue.

In late 2023, there were discussions on the Apple Community forums about Mac mini M2 units losing power. And it's a tricky one to troubleshoot since you don't have a built-in display, so you also need to check that the unit doesn't just appear dead, but actually isn't powering on at all.

If there doesn't seem to be any activity from the Mac mini at all — so no beeps, and the status indicator light on the front stays off instead of turning white — then it's time for a service.

Fortunately, some power-related issues may also be covered under warranty.

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According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman (via MacRumors), the next Apple Studio Display "should arrive by 2026," offering a similar 27-inch display size and design of the current model. Interestingly, it's set to arrive alongside MacBook Pro and iPad Pro models with M5 chips.

While no further details are mentioned, display analyst Ross Young believes the upcoming Studio Display will feature Mini-LED backlighting. If accurate, this means we could see and improved overall brightness of the display, along with better contrast and black levels, compared the 2022 Apple Studio Display.

We've seen Apple use Mini-LEDs before, most notably in the $4,999 Apple Pro Display XDR. We noted that this display is bigger, brighter and better optimized for professional content creators, but it comes with a steep price tag. With Mini-LED technology in a more affordable Studio Display ($1,499), Mac users can look forward to a far better screen for cheaper.

Upgraded resolution, too?

Paired with an upgraded Mac mini M4, which comes with a Thunderbolt 4 port and support for up to three external displays, the Apple Studio Display makes for a fine display for Mac users. However, considering Apple's latest mini PC can run two 6K displays at a 60Hz refresh rate, it could be a sign of what's to come.

The current Apple Studio Display offers 5K (5,120 x 2,880) resolution in a 27-inch screen, with bright, gorgeous colors. Now, with the Mac mini M4, and a possible M5 model coming down the pipeline since the next-gen chip is slated to come late this year or in 2026, Apple could match this resolution with a 6K monitor in the new Studio Display.

There's still a lot to learn about a new Apple Studio Display, but we're looking forward to seeing it in Mini-LED backlighting glory if rumors are to be believed. We've noted that full-array LEDs on TVs are on their way out in favor of Mini-LEDs, so we could be seeing the same for monitors.

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These new displays would be next iteration of the Studio Display that hasn't been updated since Apple introduced the 27-inch monitor back in 2022. According to Young's subscribers-only post, the upcoming version will stay the same size but feature Mini LED backlighting, which could improve the contrast, black levels, and the overall brightness of the display.

Young's report says that the display will use Mini LEDs from Epistar, while LG Display will supply the panels. Together, these new display specs should hopefully make the Studio Display far less glossy or susceptible to glare. But it's worth noting that this wouldn't be a first for Apple – Mini LED tech in the Pro Display XDR, but that hasn't seen an upgrade since 2020.

The currently-available 2022 version features a 5K LED panel and starts at $1,499. Although we don't know yet if switching to Mini LED technology will reflect in the cost of a next-generation version, there are other ways Apple could improve the Studio Display. For example, we're hoping the company upgrades the terrible webcam in the display, and potentially upgrading the speakers would be a good improvement as well.

On a personal level, making the power cable removable would be very welcome. Similarly, Tom's Guide security editor, Anthony Spadafora, longs for more ports as it currently only has one Thunderbolt port and three USB-C ones.

Several other currently available Apple devices already use Mini LED or have switched over to OLED like the MacBook Pro M4 and the iPad Pro M4, respectively.

It's not clear when this upgrade Studio Display would arrive though MacRumors suggests 2026 or late 2025.

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Fortunately, back in November of last year, Apple unveiled the new Mac mini M4 which unlike its predecessor, came with 16GB of RAM instead of 8GB on the base model. Alongside Cupertino’s more powerful M4 chip, this extra memory made a huge difference when it came to multitasking and with heavier workloads like video editing.

There was only one small problem for me, instead of two USB-A ports and two Thunderbolt 4 ports, the Mac mini M4 doesn’t have any full-size USB ports. Instead, it has two USB-C ports on the front and three Thunderbolt 4 ports on the back. If you’re using Apple’s Magic Keyboard alongside a Magic Mouse or even a Magic Trackpad, this likely won’t be a problem since all of the company’s accessories are wireless and connect to your Mac via Bluetooth.

Personally, I’m not quite ready to completely move to USB-C as I still have some older devices with USB-A ports. Likewise, while Apple upped the Mac mini M4’s RAM from 8GB to 16GB, the same can’t be said for the device’s storage as moving up from 256GB to 512GB or even a 1TB of internal storage still carries a premium.

This is where accessories like Satechi’s new Mac Mini M4 Stand & Hub with SSD Enclosure can be quite useful. Not only do you get more ports, but you also get the option to outfit your Mac Mini M4 with additional storage without having to pay the Apple Tax.

On the front, there are two USB-A 3.2 ports, a single USB-A 2.0 port and an SD card reader. Meanwhile, on the back, there’s a single, hard-wired USB-C cable that you plug into one of the rear ports on your Mac mini M4.

Just like with Satechi’s similar stand and hub for the Mac mini M2, this one also allows you to add your own M.2 SSD for additional storage space. In fact, the company says you can add up to 4TB of NVMe storage. You just have to make sure that your M.2 SSD is the right size to fit inside this new accessory.

If you think about it, giving up one Thunderbolt 4 connection at the back of the Mac mini M4 is totally worth it for all of these extra USB-A ports along with the option to upgrade your computer’s storage even after you purchased it from Apple. The Satechi Mac mini M4 Stand and Hub has one more trick up its sleeve though.

Pressed for power

Back when the Mac mini M4 was first revealed, myself and many others were shocked by Apple’s decision to move the device’s power button from the back side to underneath its new computer. Sure, the cooling fan at the bottom does raise up its chassis slightly, but this isn’t nearly enough space to slide your finger underneath it to press the Mac mini M4’s power button.

Just like with the Magic Mouse which needs to be flipped over to charge, this design decision baffled both Apple’s fans and critics alike. Instead of justifying the decision, the company doubled down by explaining that the Mac mini M4 doesn't need to be turned off or restarted all that often. Surprisingly, most Mac mini users just let their computer go to sleep instead of turning it off each night.

During my time spent testing and reviewing the Mac mini M4, I did the exact same thing but it did take some getting used to. Letting one of the best mini PCs go to sleep instead of just shutting it down didn’t make any sense to me then and it still doesn’t either. Sometimes, you just want to turn off your computer and walk away, like when you’re done for the day or don’t plan on using it for a long period of time. On its own, the Mac mini M4 needs to be completely flipped over to press its power button.

In the picture above, you can see a cutout on Satechi’s stand and hub which makes it much easier to press the device’s power button. No more fumbling around, flipping your computer over or just leaving it in sleep mode so that you never have to push the power button again.

The Satechi Mac mini M4 Stand & Hub will be available to purchase in limited quantities for just $99 at the beginning of February. However, in March, the company plans to make it generally available to the wider public.

The right accessory can make all the difference and if you want even more ports, the ability to add extra storage and an easy way to reach the Mac mini M4’s power button, Satechi’s new hub is a great investment. Just keep in mind that you will need to provide your own M.2 SSD.

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• Mac mini M4 — 4 reasons to buy and 3 reasons to skip
• This accessory fixes the biggest downside with the iMac M4 and Apple Studio Display

That’s right, Amazon still has the Mac mini M4 for $559. That’s $40 off its normal price but which is still quite good for a brand new Apple device that launched back in October. If you want to save even more on a more powerful device, then you’re in luck as the Mac mini M4 Pro is $1,299 at B&H Photo right now. This is 100 off its normal price and a good discount on a faster device with double the storage.

After testing out the Mac mini M2 for a week ahead of the launch of this new model, I can easily say the Mac mini M4 is a huge upgrade as it fixes many of our gripes with its predecessor. For instance, you now get 16GB of RAM on the base model which is double what you got with the Mac mini M2. Likewise, the Mac mini M4 is a lot faster thanks to the inclusion of Apple’s M4 chip.

In my Mac mini M4 review, I loved its absolutely tiny design and all of the other changes Apple made to its chassis to make this mini PC even better. However, you’ll probably need one of the best external hard drives to go with it as you still get just 256GB of storage with the base model.

A tiny powerhouse

The biggest and most significant change besides its smaller size is the fact that Apple finally put front ports on the Mac mini M4. Up until now, only the Mac Studio came equipped with front ports but with this new Mac mini, you get two USB-C ports and a headphone jack up front where you can actually reach them.

Personally, I have my Mac mini M4 review unit tucked under a desk shelf with the Studio Display on top. If I need to charge one of my devices or move some files off of one of them, these two USB-ports really come in handy. The same goes for that 3.5mm audio jack which is great when your wireless headphones run out of battery.

Even though it’s much smaller, you can actually power even more displays using the Mac mini M4. While the base model of the Mac mini M2 limited you to two, this one can drive three displays simultaneously which is great for multitasking.

While I have Apple’s Studio Display as my main display, I also have a touchscreen portable monitor underneath it which I use to stay on top of what’s going on in our work chat. To truly push the Mac mini M4 to the limit though, I added a dual-screen portable monitor next to it. After downloading a driver, I now have four instead of three external displays hooked up to and powered by just the Mac mini M4.

If you’re using an older Mac mini or even if you’re thinking about finally ditching Windows for macOS, the Mac mini M4 is one of the best mini PCs I’ve tested yet and it’s a great computer for both work and play.

We already saw a $100 discount on the M4 Mac mini hit Amazon, and now the M4 iMac is discounted by $150 on Amazon with an early Black Friday deal. You need to clip the coupon to save the full amount, so don't forget that important step.

If you're in the market for an all-in-one computer with a high-end processor, don't wait on this deal because these could sell out.

We gave the M4 iMac a 4-star rating in our review, with our Senior Computing Editor Alex Wawro saying, "A faster chip and a better camera make this a good iMac upgrade."

Not only is the laptop powerful with the M4 chip, but it also comes with a 4.5K display that looks stunning. "Apple's iMac M4 is dominated by its 24-inch (4480 x 2520 pixels) display, so it's a good thing that it's so nice to look at," reads our review.

The discounted model comes with 16GB of unified memory and a 512GB SSD, which should be more than enough to get you through any multitasking or other work you want to accomplish. You also get full support for Apple Intelligence features. With Apple pushing further into gaming on Mac, you can run graphically intense games, too.

With this deal, all of the M4 iMac colors are on sale, so you can get the one that best fits your office.

Even though the Mac mini M4 just launched earlier this month, thanks to Black Friday deals you can already pick up the latest and greatest tiny desktop from Apple for a steep discount. Right now, you can get the Mac mini M4 for just $499 at Amazon. That’s $100 off its normal price but the Mac mini M4 Pro is also $100 off if you need even more power and storage space. Make sure to click the on-page digital coupon for each Mac to get these prices.

In my Mac mini M4 review, not only was I impressed by the performance of Apple’s M4 chip in a desktop form factor but I also loved the new redesign. At just 5 x 5 x 2 inches, this is Cupertino’s smallest Mac yet but it also features some other notable upgrades. For instance, it’s the first Mac mini to feature front ports and now, you have two USB-C ports and a headphone jack right where you’ll actually use them.

Unlike with the Mac mini M2 and Mac mini M2 Pro, both of these new M4 models have the same rear ports. You get three Thunderbolt ports (Thunderbolt 4 on the base model, Thunderbolt 5 on the pro model), an HDMI port and a gigabit Ethernet port which can be upgraded to a 10 gigabit one if you have one of the best Wi-Fi 7 routers and a fast internet connection.

One thing I really like about the Mac mini M4 compared to the other mini PCs I’ve reviewed is that it has an internal power supply. This means that you won’t have to lug around a bulky power adapter with you and incorporating this mini PC into your desk setup is easier too.

The Mac mini M4 is a fantastic little computer and one that I wholeheartedly recommend but if you’re still on the fence, check out my reasons to buy or skip. Likewise, if you’re in the market for a new mini PC but don’t want to switch to macOS, I’ve rounded up the best Black Friday mini PC deals.

Designers at Apple managed to make the latest mini desktop computer half the size of the previous model while giving the device more accessible ports. You can see where engineers would be challenged in laying out external features on the casing.

Two Apple executives were interviewed by the Bilibili channel "Movie Hurricane" (via IThome), and they broke down why the power button is on the bottom of the computer. Bilibili is China's version of YouTube.

Greg Joswiak, Apple's Senior VP of Worldwide Marketing, and John Ternus, the Senior VP of Hardware Engineering, made sure to emphasize that the button is easily accessible by "tucking" a finger under the mini to press it.

In the interview, they claim that because the Mac Mini M4 is much more compact, the new placement is "the optimal spot for a power button."

Previous iterations featured the button on the device's rear next to the ports.

"Honestly, most people almost never use the power button on a Mac," one of the execs added.

We couldn't find any hard numbers, though some smaller surveys suggested that most people don't turn off their computers or put them in sleep mode at the end of the day. So, for most, hitting the power button isn't going to be a daily or weekly moment.

Still, it's inconvenient, and if you have to put the mini in a tight space, it could be hard to access.

This hasn't stopped people from 3D-printing clever hacks. A personal favorite is one created by Jerrod H on Maker World (via PC Gamer) that looks like an old PowerMac G5. Others have created simple extensions that you can tap without lifting the mini.

Despite the awkward placement of the power button, the Mac mini M4 is a great computer and easily one of the best mini PCs. In our review, we said, "The Mac mini M4 is an excellent mini PC, and besides being the smallest, it’s also the most powerful one Apple has released yet."

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We very much expected Apple to keep these at full price through to the end of the year, but it looks as if the Cupertino crew did not get the memo. That’s because right now, you can get up to $50 off the M4 Mac mini at Amazon. And yes, this even includes the M4 Pro model too.

As my colleague Anthony Spadafora wrote in his review of the M4 Mac mini, this is a “beautifully designed mini PC” that will make for a welcome addition on most desks. Apple has kept a lot of the DNA that made the previous minis so good — a diverse array of ports for connectivity and a sleek construction to be hidden into any setup.

However this time, with a 5x5-inch square build, that compact-ness has been taken to a whole new level — especially when you consider what is in here. The M4 chip is a mighty performance option for your day to day and even prosumer tasks. Meanwhile, if you need a true face-melter, the M4 Pro can handle AAA gaming impressively and rip through the more intense multi-layered 4K edits without breaking a sweat.

It’s not all perfect, though, as that power button placement is a little annoying. On top of that, repairability and upgradeability are next-to impossible. I say next-to because some people have figured it out, but you will need a heat gun to melt the SSD NAND chips off the silicon and add your own… Definitely not something I’d recommend you try.

But make no mistake about it — this is arguably the best mini PC you can buy today, and it’s now $50 off just days after its launch. You’d be mad to miss out!

The Apple iMac M4 ($1,299 to start) has arrived, and it looks an awful lot like its predecessors.

Don't be fooled by the tried-and-true exterior though: inside this Apple all-in-one is a brand-new Apple M4 chip that takes this iMac to new performance heights while supporting all of the new Apple Intelligence features.

And there are other small but welcome improvements over the old iMac M3, including a doubling of the starting RAM, a better webcam and an upgrade to USB-C for accessories.

After spending some time testing and reviewing our own iMac M4 review unit running a developer beta of macOS Sequoia, I think these upgrades are great and help make an already great PC even better, cementing its place among the best all-in-ones and making it one of the best computers you can buy for families.

But I have to admit that I'm a little underwhelmed by how much of an upgrade this offers over the iMac M3. While anyone who wants a new Mac desktop will be well-served by this machine, I think folks on the fence about upgrading from an older iMac should read my iMac M4 review before pulling the trigger on a new one.

Apple iMac M4 review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? Apple's all-in-one PC, updated for 2024 with a few small upgrades and a new M4 chip inside.
• What does it cost? The 2024 iMac M4 is available for purchase from Apple's website at a starting price of $1,299, and you can pay more for additional RAM, storage or extras like a Magic Touchpad or nano-texture glass on the display.
• Who is it for? Families, students and anyone who needs a capable desktop PC for getting things done, browsing the web and watching videos.
• What do we like? The elegant design, the lovely 4.5K display, its speakers and the built-in webcam. Plus, the power of M4 helps this machine speed through basic tasks and affords it full access to incoming Apple Intelligence features.
• What don’t we like? No HDR support, no touchscreen option and no height adjustment option on the stand feel criminal given the price and luxurious design of this desktop.

Apple iMac M4 review: Specs

Apple iMac M4 review: The ups

The iMac has been one of my favorite Macs for some time, and the 2024 M4 model has a few strengths that continue to impress me. While it's a good all-in-one in general, these strengths really set the iMac M4 apart from the pack.

Lovely 4.5K display

Apple's iMac M4 is dominated by its 24-inch (4480 x 2520 pixels) display, so it's a good thing that it's so nice to look at.

While I wish it offered HDR support or (dare to dream) came in a touchscreen or OLED option, I can't complain about the brightness or image quality of the iMac M4's display.

One of the reasons I feel good recommending this PC to families is how attractive the display is and how wide its viewing angles are. During my review I watched some of my favorite shows and movies on this screen, and the colors and details on even streaming versions of older content appeared sharp and vivid.

When we got the iMac into our testing lab and pointed our colorimeter at it, we discovered that the display performs nearly identically to its predecessor. As you can see from the chart above, the iMac M4 achieved a peak brightness of 513 nits, which is better than Apple's promised 500 nits and better than the iMac M3's 508 nits.

The iMac M4 also appears to be slightly more colorful than its predecessor, based on the fact that it achieves slightly better coverage of the sRGB and DCI-P3 color gamuts.

However, the iMac M4's screen is actually slightly dimmer, on average, than its predecessor once you average everything out. It's not something you'd notice just looking at the two side-by-side, but in the rarified conditions of our testing lab the truth comes out.

Not that it matters, really — the iMac M4's display looks lovely, and as you can see from our test results it gets nearly as bright and colorful as the Apple Studio Display, a fancier screen that costs more than the entire iMac M4 ($1,599 vs $1,299).

New to the iMac M4 is the option to order one with nano-texture glass coating on the display for an additional $200 fee. Apple sent us a review unit with the new nano-texture coating, and it does indeed seem to throw off less glare (from nearby windows and our photography lights) than most displays I review. If you click on the photo above to zoom in, for example, you can clearly see a bit of glare in the top-right corner of the display that's visible on the dark areas of the screen but doesn't appear to obscure the image.

M4-powered performance

Apple's iMacs have felt speedy and fast to react ever since they started coming with Apple silicon onboard, and the iMac M4 is the fastest yet.

As you can see from our charted test results below, the iMac M4 speeds past its predecessors in our performance tests. In Geekbench 6, which scores how effectively the computer's CPU performs in tests of single-core and multi-core performance, the iMac M4 handily improves on its M3- and M1-equipped predecessors.

That's not a huge surprise given that we saw similarly strong Geekbench 6 performance from the iPad Pro 2024, which was the first Apple device to ship with the M4 chip. In fact, the iMac M4 scored within 200 points of the iPad Pro M4 on both tests, beating the iPad in multi-core performance but falling a few points behind the iPad in single-core performance.

So in short, this iMac has as much power as an iPad Pro—and these days, that's more than enough for basic tasks, homework, office work and even some light gaming.

It's also capable of supporting all the current and upcoming features of Apple Intelligence, including Writing Tools that help you summarize or rewrite text, image generation via Image Playground, Genmoji custom emoji and more. However, during our review period I couldn't access most of these, so I can't tell you much about how well they work on the iMac M4.

I can say that the upgraded Siri with optional ChatGPT integration is a welcome improvement over the old version, which is well in line with the story of the iMac M4 in general: more of the same, but better than ever.

It's a similar story when it comes to speed-related tasks. In our testing, the iMac M4 was able to edit videos faster than its predecessors, completing our Handbrake video editing test (which times how long it takes the PC to transcode a 4K video file down to 1080p) nearly two minutes faster than the iMac M3.

However, the older iMac M3 turned out to perform slightly faster in the BlackMagic disk speed tests, which rate how quickly a Mac's SSD reads and writes data. Again, not a big discrepancy that almost anyone would notice when upgrading from an iMac M3 to iMac M4, but it's worth noting.

Finally, gaming is a little better on the iMac M4 than on its predecessors, but a gaming PC this ain't.

As you can see from our game tests, the iMac M4 delivers slightly better performance in games like Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Total War: Warhammer 3. And in my own experience, you can have a good amount of fun playing Mac-optimized games (like No Man's Sky or Resident Evil 8) at decent framerates.

If you care about games and performance you'll almost certainly be frustrated, because even with the 10-core GPU model of M4 chip and 24GB of RAM, our iMac M4 review unit struggled to hit 60 frames per second in any major game released in the last decade.

As you can see from our test results, even when you knock a 5-year-old game like Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm down to 1080p the iMac M4 struggles to run it well at 60 FPS. Games like Baldur's Gate 3 can run and play decently well (I saw 20-30 frames per second when playing BG3 on our review unit), but you'll often have to seriously downgrade the resolution and knock the graphical settings down to get buttery-smooth performance.

That's about the level of gaming performance you'd expect from an all-in-one, so I can't really fault Apple on this count. But it was a low point in my review process, and with the marketing hype around Apple silicon and the power of M4 it would be nice to see that pay off in significantly better gaming performance.

Great speakers

The iMac has a reputation for better-than-expected sound quality from a desktop, and the iMac M4 upholds that reputation with ease. I've had a blast listening to my favorite tracks on this all-in-one, and that's not something I say very often.

The six speakers built into the iMac do a great job of enrobing you in sound when you're sitting in front of it, doubly so when you're listening to anything with Dolby Atmos or Spatial Audio support. I have to say I buy into the gimmick of Spatial Audio, and when listening to supported tracks in front of the iMac, I did really feel like some of the sound was playing around and behind me instead of just in front of me.

While these noisemakers likely won't impress audiophiles or outperform a nice set of the best computer speakers, they're great for movies or music and one of the high points of the iMac M4.

Upgraded camera is nice to have

Apple swapped out the 1080p camera that crowned the iMac M3 for a 12MP shooter on the M4 model, and the upgrade is a welcome one.

The iMac M4's webcam does a great job of capturing little details during video calls, and when FaceTiming it supports Desk View. This is a new mode you can enable which lets you transmit a video feed of what's on the desk in front of the iMac, and while it takes some fine-tuning to get working well it's a neat feature to have.

It works by showing you a view of what the ultrawide camera sees and giving you a slider you can drag to control how much of the shot is included in your Desk View.

While testing this feature I found it neat, but ultimately not very useful because I had to push the bottom lip of the iMac as far back as possible in order to get the webcam into a position where it could clearly capture what was directly in front of the iMac on the desk. If I used Desk View when I had the iMac tilted in a way that was comfortable for me to use, it couldn't see my desk at all and instead was pointed squarely at my groin.

Others may not have as much of an issue, but for me that's a problem because my height forces me to angle the iMac as far back as it will go in order to minimize neck strain. That effectively means I can't use Desk View and have my face on camera at the same time, because angling the iMac to see my desk means it can't see my face.

However, I did find one useful workaround: using my iPhone as the Desk View camera. This feature takes advantage of Apple's Continuity Camera tech to let you use your iPhone instead of the iMac's webcam, and it means you can angle and reposition the camera as needed in order to get the best shot of whatever's on your desk.

Since I own an iPhone 13 that supports this feature, the iMac M4's Desk View feature is actually useful. If I didn't, it wouldn't be. Bear that in mind when considering whether this feature is worth upgrading for.

Apple iMac M4 review: The downs

The iMac M4 is the best iMac yet, in my opinion, but there's still some things I don't like about it.

No adjustable height sucks

Is it just me, or is there often one weird design choice that throws you through a loop on most Apple products?

Whether it's the charging port on the bottom of the Magic Mouse, the power button on the bottom of the mac Mini M4 or the lack of options for height adjustment on the iMac, there's usually one aspect of these oh-so-carefully-over-designed products that seems like no designer noticed or cared.

For me, the painful one is the lack of height adjustment on the iMac. I've been griping about this since I reviewed the iMac M1 back in 2021 because I'm 6'4", and whether sitting or standing the iMac is just too short for me to comfortably use.

Sure, you could shell out more money for a stand to put your iMac on, or just live like me and pile books beneath the stand to get it closer to a healthy, ergonomic height. But that looks ridiculous and leaves my $1,300+ Apple computer awkwardly teetering on my desk, just waiting for one over-ambitious cheek rub from the cat to send it clattering to the floor.

I appreciate many aspects of the iMac's clever design, from the cutout hole in the stand for easy power cable routing to the Thunderbolt 4 ports resting in an easy-to-find-without-looking row on the back rear left corner of the display. That's why it's so frustrating to have to unbox new models of this computer and, every year, be disappointed again to find that Apple didn't think someone shaped like me should feel comfortable in front of this PC.

Lack of touchscreen option hurts

I know it's bad form to complain about something not being what it isn't, so I'm not going to waste too much time telling you how this $1,299 all-in-one sucks because it doesn't have a touchscreen or an OLED display option.

What I do want to say is that the move to Apple silicon has really made me feel the lack of a touchscreen option on the iMac because of how well it supports iOS and iPadOS apps. I love how the fact that you're running an M-series chip means you get to natively run all your iOS and iPadOS apps on your Mac, and now that macOS Sequoia brought us iPhone Mirroring you can even control and interact with your phone right on your Mac desktop.

That's why it's so frustrating that you have to use a mouse and keyboard to do it. It's great that Apple lets you run mobile apps on your Mac, but those apps were built for touch input, and having them running on this big, beautiful 24-inch screen makes it so painful to have to reach down and try to click and type my way through them.

I want to be able to reach out and tap on the Dock to launch apps. I want to be able to swipe my way through my iPhone notifications and play my iPad games on my Mac without feeling like it's the worst place to play them.

Apple has yet to ship a PC with a touchscreen, and it feels so silly when competitors like Dell and HP sell touchscreen-equipped all-in-ones for a fraction of the iMac's price. The iMac M4 is fundamentally an iPad Pro M4 with more RAM and storage inside a 24-inch display, and it would be a significantly better computer if you could get it with a touchscreen, but you can't.

Apple iMac M4 review: Verdict

While I wish Apple had done more to make the iMac M4 the ideal family PC I know it can be, it's hard to complain about an updated version of one of the best all-in-ones on the market.

The upgrade to an M4 chip doesn't hugely improve the iMac M4 over the old M3 model or change what it's capable of, but it does deliver great performance. The bump up to 16GB RAM minimum is a good one for customers, as 8GB just doesn't cut it for most work in 2024.

And while you'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference between the 12MP webcam on this model and the 1080p webcam on the old iMac M3, it's nice to get access to the Desk View feature.

Ultimately, I can't help feeling like Apple didn't go far enough when improving the iMac for 2024. I'm grateful for the under-the-hood upgrades and the improved camera, but overall it feels like a shuffling half step forward when I was hoping for a giant leap.