2026 Mac mini: What we know about the upcoming M5 update
Macworld 2026 Mac mini: In summary The current M4 and M4 Pro Mac mini were released in November 2024. A report states that Apple is planning an M5 update in 2026. No design changes are expected. With its November 2024 release, Apple drastically changed the Mac mini, reducing its overall size. The smallest Mac you could buy actually got even smaller. It also features new M4 and M4 Pro chips, making the Mac mini a mighty machine. In October 2025, Apple released the base M5 chip in the MacBook Pro, but it hasn’t introduced the M5 Pro chip yet. But now that the M5 chip is here, customers could be wondering if it’s going to make its way into the Mac mini soon. This article keeps track of the reports on the upcoming Mac mini. For information on what the upgrade will include and when it could be released, refer to this page. 2026 Mac mini: Release date Possible release in the first half of 2026 The Mac mini has had an erratic release history. Apple went through periods of updating the Mac mini annually and then decided to wait 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 won’t 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. The M5 is out, however, and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that the M5 and M5 Pro Mac mini are on Apple’s product schedule for 2026. When in 2026 remains a question, though with the M6 expected in the second half of 2026, expect the M5 and M5 Pro Mac mini to be released in early spring or, at the latest, at WWDC26 in June 2026. 2026 Mac mini: Processor Expected to have M5 and M5 Pro Apple has yet to establish a consistent upgrade cycle with the Apple Silicon Mac mini. 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. But it looks like Apple isn’t going to skip the M5. Mark Gurman reported that Apple has the Mac mini on the 2026 release schedule with M5 and M5 Pro chips. The new M5 chip may make its way into the Mac mini. Apple 2026 Mac mini: Specs 16GB RAM (M5); 24GB RAM (M5 Pro) Thunderbolt 4 (M5); Thunderbolt 5 (M5 Pro) Wi-Fi 6E (802. 11ax) and Bluetooth 5. 3 With the M4 Mac mini, Apple increased the base RAM from 8GB (base M chip model) and 16GB (Pro M chip model) to 16GB and 24GB, respectively. That’s the standard configuration going forward, with user options to add more memory at the time of purchase. The M4 Mac mini has Thunderbolt 4, while the M4 Pro Mac mini has Thunderbolt 5. The recently released M5 chip has 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 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. This also means that Apple might not use its N1 wireless networking chip, which made its debut with the iPhone 17. No reports have been made about changes to the inner workings of the Mac mini. New Mac mini: Design Mac mini redesign was introduced in 2024 Apple did a major redesign of the Mac mini in 2024, making it much smaller. This design will be in place for several years to come. It can’t really make it any smaller and still have it provide the features users need. No reports have been made on whether Apple will offer new colors. Expect the ports to remain the same on the new Mac mini. Foundry The port offerings are also expected to remain the same. The M4 Mac mini has: 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 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 for the new Mac mini has not been reported, though pricing could go up because of the U. S. tariffs situation-the components are made overseas. The prices may be adapted to more recent exchange rates elsewhere. Continue reading 2026 Mac mini: What we know about the upcoming M5 update
