When Apple introduced the M1 chip in 2020, it didn’t go for a redesign of it’s MacBooks. The MacBook Mini, Air, and Pro got the M1 chip but the external and physical body of the device stayed the same. But now we have both MacBook Air’s and MacBook Pro’s with a refreshed design.

The only Mac that hasn’t changed is the Mac Mini, which still looks like like the Intel Mac Mini from before the M1 days and as per Mark Gurman that is about to change. This is long overdue, and I am glad the Mac Mini is getting some love from Apple’s design team. The new Mac Mini is also getting an upgrade to the M4 chip whilst being almost as small as the Apple TV box.

You can read the whole article from Bloomberg but this line caught my eye:

The current Mac mini starts at $599, and while the new model may be cheaper to make, it’s unclear if the company will pass along any savings to the consumer.

I have a few friends who purchased a Mac Mini as a device to get into iOS development as it was the cheapest Mac to get, and that it was the only Mac they could afford. I wonder if Apple can at least hit the starting price of $599 for the new Mac Mini. Or will Apple find the new model cheaper to make and still make a price hike out of it?

There is a massive market for Mac Mini’s especially in developing countries where the dollar is expensive. Both the MacBook Air and Pro redesign came with a price increase. If Apple increases the price of the Mini, they may make it unaffordable not just for Mac enthusiasts, but also for people who are buying a Mac for the first time.

Or the Tim Cook way is to introduce a redesign of the new item with a price hike, and also keep the existing product at the same price. This just causes confusion and frustration with two different designs of the Mini lineup. But Apple has done this multiple times before, lately with the MacBook Air redesign. I hope this is not the route Apple will take with regard to the Mac Mini, but I fear I might be wrong.