Apple Introduces Updated Mac mini and Mac Studio with Higher Starting Prices

Apple Inc. unveiled updated Mac mini and Mac Studio desktop computers on Tuesday, which will feature new processors and higher starting prices.

The new Mac mini will have a starting price of $899 and will be available with Apple's new M6 or M5 Pro chip. Mac Studio will offer users the M5 Max, starting at $2,499, and the new M5 Ultra, with a starting price of $5,499.

Pre-orders for both devices are available starting Tuesday, with sales beginning on September 22. The computers will run macOS 27 Golden Gate, which is scheduled to roll out to other Mac devices in the fall.

Apple's new M6 chip is the company's first processor manufactured with 2-nanometer technology. It features a 12-core CPU, 12-core GPU, and dual 16-core Neural Engine. The chip supports up to 32 GB of unified memory and memory bandwidth of up to 170 GB per second, representing a 10% increase compared to M5.

According to Shri Santhanam, vice president of Apple's Silicon Engineering Group, 2-nanometer technology enables the M6 to combine high performance with energy efficiency.

The M6 Mac mini will come standard with 16 GB of memory, while the M5 Pro configuration will be available with up to 64 GB of memory.

For professional users, Mac Studio will offer higher capabilities. The M5 Ultra version includes a 36-core CPU and 80-core GPU, as well as up to 512 GB of unified memory. A fully configured Mac Studio can reach a price of $18,299.

The M5 Ultra uses a four-die architecture that connects two dual-die M5 Max chips using UltraFusion technology. Its unified memory bandwidth reaches 1.2 terabytes per second, 50% more than the M3 Ultra.

Both new computers will also receive Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. Mac mini retains the compact design that Apple introduced with the M4 and M4 Pro models in 2024.

Notably, the price increase for Mac mini is particularly striking: its starting price was originally $599. In May, Apple discontinued the $599 base configuration and raised the starting price to $799, and now it has increased by another $100 to $899.

The price increase is partially attributed to a shortage of memory chips, which has been exacerbated by increased demand in the artificial intelligence sector.