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Apple Likely Planning to Skip M3 Mac Mini for M4 Refresh in Late 2024

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Apple is likely to skip an M3 version of the Mac mini in favor of a bigger update with M4 chips toward the end of the year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

M4-Mac-Mini-Feature.jpg

In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explained that he does not expect Apple to refresh the Mac mini with M3 chips. Apple last updated the Mac mini with the M2 and M2 Pro chips in January 2023. Other new features included two extra Thunderbolt 4 ports and an HDMI 2.1 port for M2 Pro configurations, Wi-Fi 6E support with a compatible router, and Bluetooth 5.3.

Gurman previously said that Apple is planning to release new Mac mini models with M4 and M4 Pro chips "between the end of 2024 and early 2025." Now, he has clarified that with new Mac minis arriving as soon as the end of the year, there is not sufficient "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."

Such a move would not be unprecedented since the iMac skipped the M2 chip entirely, holding off until a bigger performance bump with the M3 chip late last year. With the M4 chip series, the Mac mini should get a significant CPU performance improvement compared to the existing models with the M2 series. The M4 chips are also rumored to have a faster Neural Engine for artificial intelligence tasks.

Article Link: Apple Likely Planning to Skip M3 Mac Mini for M4 Refresh in Late 2024
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2024/04/21/apple-likely-planning-to-skip-m3-mac-mini/
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CausticSoda

CausticSoda

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I see no issue with skipping chips in some models like this and the MBA. For the average user, like me, the difference between Mx and Mx+1 is insignificant. As for the RAM, I see it differently... RAM is so absurdly cheap these days that you would hope even the most devoted fan boys can by now see that the 8 GB base model is all about making people pay more than the base price that is advertised or making it more likely they have to ditch their computer in the future earlier than they might have done, had it had 16 GB. I wonder what "Mother Earth" thinks of this screamingly obvious ploy? Now cue all the people who don't get the point and say 8 GB is fine for the average user (which, today, is true)...
 
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Darmok N Jalad

Darmok N Jalad

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Or, they release an M3 mini this year and it stays a generation behind. I wouldn’t like that option, but they are trying to keep the mini as the affordable entry level Mac. Having the latest chip might go against that approach, especially if sales are slowing down. They could sweeten the pot with more RAM and storage in the base configuration.
 
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HobeSoundDarryl

HobeSoundDarryl

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In yesterdays M4 thread, many were rejecting the concept of Studio and Pro skipping to M4 too. If it's too late for "bargain" Mini to go M3, is it not too late for "pricey" Studio & Pro to jump to M4 Ultra too?

Once again: who buys M3 Ultra Macs launched at maybe WWDC with growing confidence that M4 MAX is probably hitting in SEP/OCT and MAX is usually just about as powerful as the prior generations Ultra? On the other hand, if Apple would flip the release schedule and roll out M4 Ultra FIRST, it would reign supreme for the full year as most powerful Silicon for Macs until M5 Ultra is released. The who want "most powerful" could reasonably confidently buy Ultra for a lot longer than it's been so far. And those who feel tech angst about having the higher number painted on a chip they'll never see might even be tempted to go Ultra (and pay way, way up for it) to scratch that itch. Shareholders rejoice! 💰💰💰

Why flip the schedule? Another rumor says Ultra-based Macs are most profitable Macs per unit sold. Speculator seems to imply that Apple Inc. cares about harvesting every possible nickel out of each transaction.

A whole other angle in support of a rush to M4: is there legal risk in knowing about the unfixable hardware vector in M1-M3 but continuing to sell them anyway? That's rhetorical: of course there is legal risk... that's probably the oldest catalyst for class action lawsuit in the book. Yes, I've also read there's some software things macOS could do to minimize- but not close- that hole. However, those allegedly significantly slow down Macs. If Apple takes such actions to reduce the risk of the hardware hole, a separate class action seed is sown in marketing "super fast" computers while opting to intentionally slow them down (recall the battery management scenario in iOS a few years back). If one can buy either or both concepts, the rush to M4 may be about legal risk minimization in the inevitable class action that follows any Corp knowing of a tangible flaw but opting to keep selling anyway.

The good news if one buys that would be that it implies all M4s probably close that hole.
 
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