Apple to Skip M3-Powered Mac Mini, Will Launch M4 Model as Soon as Late 2024: Report

Apple is said to be planning an overhaul of its entire Mac line of computers with the in-house M4 chipset capable of delivering artificial intelligence (AI)-based features. The Cupertino, California-based company launched its M3-powered MacBook Pro models and a 24-inch M3 iMac last year, before introducing new MacBook Air models with M3 processor in March. Apple is said to be working on refreshing the Mac mini, as well, but a new report says that the company may skip the M3 generation and launch an updated M4-powered Mac mini in late 2024.

The information comes from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who had previously reported that Apple could bring an M3-powered Mac mini to market in 2024. In his latest Power On newsletter, however, Gurman claimed that Apple could altogether skip the M3 Mac mini and instead focus on refreshing the model with its next-generation M4 chipset.

In the Q&A section of his newsletter (via MacRumors), Gurman said that he was not expecting an M3 Mac mini to hit the shelves this year. This development comes a week after Gurman had claimed that M4 and M4 Pro-powered Mac mini models would arrive between the end of 2024 and early 2025. In his latest newsletter, he doubles down on the claim, explaining that the possible launch of an M4 Mac mini as soon as the end of 2024 would leave no "room for M3 models to come out before then, so it's probably safe to say that those Mac desktops will skip the M3 generation."

Last year in July, Gurman had reported that an M3-powered Mac mini would likely come out in 2024. Since then, Apple has refreshed its Mac lineup with the M3 chip but continues to sell M2 and M2 Pro-powered Mac mini models, launched in January 2023.

Apple debuted its 3nm M3 chipset with new 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro variants, alongside a sole 24-inch M3 iMac, at its Scary Fast event in October last year. The new MacBook Pro lineup runs on M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max family of chipsets. Earlier this year in March, the company refreshed its MacBook Air line with the M3 processor, unveiling 13 and 15-inch models.

Apple last updated the Mac mini in January 2023 with M2 and M2 Pro chipsets. Currently, the M2 Mac mini is available in three configurations — M2-powered Mac minis with 8-Core CPU, 10-Core GPU, 8GB of RAM and 256GB SSD storage, and 8-Core CPU, 10-Core GPU, 8GB RAM, and 512GB SSD storage; and an M2 Pro-powered Mac mini with 10-Core CPU, 16-Core GPU, 16GB of RAM and 512GB SSD storage.

Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported that Apple intended to overhaul its entire Mac lineup with AI-focussed M4 processor. The company is reportedly nearing production of the next-generation M4 chip, which will likely come in three main variants.