Apple’s Upcoming M4-Powered Mac Mini to Ditch Legacy Ports: Report

A report suggests that Apple’s Mac Mini redesign will not only result in the loss of crucial ports, but also offer improved portability and new connectivity choices.

The long-awaited Fall event for Apple is only a week from now, and although this year’s iPhones may only offer a temporary solution, it is likely that the Mac Mini will undergo a redesign.

In his recent edition of the Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that Apple’s upcoming desktop models are set to arrive at warehouses in September and hit stores in October.

According to him, the upcoming Mac Mini Pro, equipped with the M4 Pro chip, will feature a total of five USB C ports – three located at the back and two at the front.

According to Gurman’s sources, the new Mac mini is expected to have a range of connectivity options, including an ethernet port, an HDMI port, and a headphone jack. Additionally, it is expected to feature an internal power supply.

Gurman has not mentioned the specific number of ports that will be included on the standard version of the Mac mini with an M4 chip. It is expected that this more affordable version will have a total of three USB-C ports located at the back, as well as other essential ports for connectivity.

Although the addition of ports at the front is appreciated, it appears that Apple is abandoning the use of USB-A ports. This decision on the Mac Mini could potentially set a precedent and indicate that it is time to say farewell to the longstanding and reliable port.

Despite this, a brief examination of the majority of computing devices from Apple would reveal that the USB-A port was already outdated and at risk of being replaced.

Despite this, the decision will likely lead to users having to search for their USB-C adapters once again due to the number of accessories, such as thumb drives, wired keyboards and mice, that still require the traditional USB-A port.

According to Gurman, Apple is currently in the process of developing a more affordable and simplified version of the Magic Keyboard. This new version is expected to hit the market sometime around the middle of next year.