The Mac mini remains one of Apple’s most compelling Macs, offering an exceptional balance of performance, affordability, and compact design. Following a major redesign in October 2024, the Mac mini became smaller, faster, and more versatile than ever, with a dramatically reduced 5-by-5-inch footprint and the introduction of M4 and M4 Pro chips.
If you’re considering buying a Mac mini, you may be wondering whether another update is around the corner, what new features could arrive in a 2026 refresh, and whether Apple will maintain the attractive $599 starting price.
With Apple holding “Special Experience” events in three locations worldwide on March 4, speculation is mounting that the next major revision – expected to feature the M5 generation of Apple silicon – could be announced soon. However, Apple has not confirmed any new Mac mini hardware as yet, other than to announce on February 24, 2026, that it will shift part of its Mac mini production to a Foxconn facility in Texas later in 2026, while continuing manufacturing in Asia. It is unclear whether the move will have any impact on pricing.
For most buyers, now remains a solid time to purchase, especially with frequent discounts available through third-party retailers and Apple’s Refurbished Store. Unless you specifically need the additional performance gains expected from the M5, the current models offer excellent value. That said, the M5 chip – which debuted in the MacBook Pro in October 2025 – signals Apple’s growing focus on improved graphics performance and enhanced on-device AI capabilities.
Below, we break down everything we expect from the 2026 Mac mini, including potential performance improvements, whether an M5 Pro model is likely, and what other specification updates could be in store.
2026 Mac mini processor: Will the Mac mini have an M5 & M5 Pro?
- Expected to offer M5 and M5 Pro options.
The new M5 chip may make its way into the Mac mini.
Apple
Apple has yet to establish a consistent upgrade cycle with the Mac mini since the introduction of Apple Silicon (M-series chips). Apple released M1 and M2 versions but skipped the M3 and went with the M4. So, Apple isn’t afraid to skip a chip cycle with the Mac mini. However, it looks like Apple isn’t going to skip the M5:
- In November 2025, Mark Gurman reported that Apple has the Mac mini on the 2026 release schedule with M5 and M5 Pro chips.
- Then, in December 2025, MacRumors reported that references to the M5 and M5 Pro Mac mini appeared in a set of leaked Apple files.
The Apple M5 chip, which debuted in October 2025, represented a significant shift in Apple silicon by prioritizing graphics performance and on-device artificial intelligence. While it maintains the 3-nanometer architecture of its predecessor, it introduces a new GPU design that incorporates dedicated hardware for AI tasks.
At a glance: Expected processor improvements
Key performance highlights of the M5 chip, as seen in the M5 MacBook Pro, include:
- Graphics: In the MacBook Pro M5 the GPU delivers up to 45% faster performance than the M4 and is roughly 4x faster in peak compute tasks.
- AI Tasks: Due to the new accelerators, certain AI functions—such as image generation in apps like Draw Things – can be up to 3.5 times faster than on the M4.
- Storage Speed: The M5 architecture supports significantly faster SSD performance, with some tests of the M5 in the MacBook Pro showing read and write speeds nearly doubling compared to the previous generation.
- CPU Output: General processing sees a more iterative increase, with single-core and multi-core scores rising by approximately 14% to 22% over the M4 in our MacBook Pro tests.
2026 Mac mini specs: Will the new Mac mini have better specs?
- No changes are expected compared to M4 and M4 Pro Mac mini.
Simon Jary / Foundry
No reports have been made about changes to the inner workings of the Mac mini in 2026.
In October 2024, Apple upgraded the base unified memory (RAM) for the Mac mini to 16GB, moving away from the long-standing 8GB entry point. We expect that this 16GB baseline will continue with the M5 models to support multitasking and modern AI workloads.
As with the current M4 models, the new 2026 Mac mini models are likely to offer configurations up to 32GB of RAM for the standard chip and higher for the Pro versions (up to 64GB RAM).
The SSD specs are also likely to remain at 256GB SSD to 2TB SSD for the M5 model, and up to 8TB for the M5 Pro.
The M4 Mac mini has Thunderbolt 4, while the M4 Pro Mac mini has Thunderbolt 5. The MacBook Pro with M5 chip also features Thunderbolt 4, so that’s what will be in the M5 Mac mini. While specifications on the M5 Pro have not been reported, it will likely have Thunderbolt 5.
The current Mac mini has Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.3. This didn’t change with the M5 MacBook Pro, so it looks like Apple will not upgrade to Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 with the M5 Mac mini, though it may in the M5 Pro variant. This also means that Apple might not use its N1 wireless networking chip, which made its debut with the iPhone 17.
At a glance: Expected specs
- From 16GB RAM (M5); 24GB RAM (M5 Pro)
- Up to 2TB SSD (M5); 8TB SSD (M5 Pro)
- Thunderbolt 4 (M5); Thunderbolt 5 (M5 Pro)
- Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.3
New Mac mini: Design
- No design changes expected.
Expect the ports to remain the same on the new Mac mini.
Foundry
The M4 Mac mini underwent a significant physical redesign in October 2024, shrinking to a 5-by-5-inch enclosure. This design will be in place for several years to come. The M5 update is anticipated to focus on internal performance enhancements with no changes to the physical chassis.
No reports have been made on whether Apple will offer new colors – so no Space Gray Mac mini is likely.
New Mac mini: Ports
The port offerings are also expected to remain the same as the M4 Mac mini:
- 2 front USB-C ports (supporting USB 3 at 10Gbps)
- Front 3.5mm audio jack
- 3 rear Thunderbolt ports
- HDMI port
- gigabit ethernet port (10Gb ethernet option available)
New Mac mini: Price
- No price changes rumored, but prices could go up due to tariffs and exchange rate changes.
- Apple is moving some Mac mini production to Texas.
Here are the prices for the current standard base configurations of the 2024 Mac mini for reference:
- $599/£599/CA$799/AU$999 M4, 16GB Unified Memory, 256GB SSD
- $799/£799/CA$1,099/AU$1,299 M4, 16GB Unified Memory, 512GB SSD
- $999/£999/CA$1,399/AU$1,599 M4, 24GB Unified Memory, 512GB SSD
- $1,399/£1,399/CA$1,999/AU$2,199 M4 Pro, 24GB Unified Memory, 512GB SSD
Pricing could go up because of the U.S. tariffs situation – due to components that are made overseas. However, Apple’s announcement that it is moving some Mac mini production to a Foxconn facility in Texas may impact pricing, either avoiding tariffs, or due to higher manufacturing costs.
The prices may also be adapted to reflect exchange rates changes around the world.
2026 Mac mini: Release date
- Possible March 4 release
The Mac mini has had an erratic release history. Apple has been through periods of updating the Mac mini annually and then waited as long as four years. Switching from Intel to Apple Silicon didn’t create any consistency; the M1 Mac mini was around for three years before it got its M2 upgrade. The Mac mini skipped the M3 and got an M4 upgrade (and a redesign) in November 2024.
Since laptops dominate Apple’s Mac sales, desktop Macs like the Mac mini don’t tend to see consistent annual upgrades. And with recent reports of Apple doing some redesigns for its higher-end chips, it is possible that we could see the Mac mini with the Pro chip see longer upgrade cycles in the future.
That said, the M5 generation is now underway. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has reported in November 2025 that Mac mini models with M5 and M5 Pro chips are on Apple’s product roadmap for 2026. And in a February 9 newsletter, he added that “new Mac minis are on the road map for this year,” though he did not provide specific timing.
When in 2026 remains a question, though with claims that the M6 could arrive in the second half of 2026, we expect the M5 and M5 Pro Mac mini to be released in the spring or, at the latest, at WWDC in June 2026. There have been suggestions that Apple will stagger the M5 releases through 2026, rather that upgrade the remaining M4 Macs at the same time.
Adding to the speculation, Apple is holding “Special Experience” events in New York, London, and Shanghai on March 4. While Apple has not confirmed that new Mac mini will be announced, the timing makes an early-2026 refresh a possibility.
