New Mac mini release date, price, features, specifications

Mac mini release date

The last time that Apple updated the Mac mini was on 16 October 2014. More than three years ago.
We had hoped that Apple might be intending to issue an update to the Mac mini in October 2017, but that looks unlikely following an email from Tim Cook to a Mac mini fan which confirmed that while the Mac mini is "an important part of our product line going forward," now is: "not time to share any details."

Price

There are currently three models of the Mac mini available; the one that's best for you will depend on your budget and computing needs. The cheapest model currently costs £479, the middle model is £679, and the priciest model is £949.

Design

It's possible that the 2017 Mac mini will get a new design. We're not expecting a major visual or build redesign, but it is certainly possible that it could get thinner and smaller.
Alternatively the Mac mini might not be so mini anymore, according to a post on Pikes Universum. This could suggest that the next generation of Mac mini could be even larger, perhaps to incorporate more powerful components.

Processor

The Mac mini is Apple's most budget-focused desktop system and as such features relatively low-end components. But what specs upgrades should we expect from the next Mac mini?
Intel is shipping Kaby Lake processors that would be suitable for a Mac mini, but even Skylake, the previous generation of Intel processors, would represent a significant power boost over the current, aging, Haswell processors.

Graphics card

The current range of Mac mini models feature integrated Intel graphics, and we expect this to remain the case in the next generation. However, Apple did recently update the iMac range with discreet graphics cards, so it is possible that Apple will offer a discreet graphics card option in the Mac mini range, a move that would aid its acceptance as a gaming machine.

RAM

Right now, the entry-level Mac mini features just 4GB RAM as standard. It is the only Mac that still offers just 4GB RAM, now that the MacBook Air's RAM has been incresaed to 8GB as standard, so we think it should be ramped up to 8GB.