At its recent hardware event that held in New York City, Apple unveiled a 2018 version of its Mac Mini which lies directly in between the company’s new iPad Pro (2018) tablet and MacBook Air (2018) laptop in terms of price, storage capacity, speed, and performance.
Where to Buy Mac Mini
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The new Apple Mac Mini (2018) comes four years after its predecessor, the Mac Mini (2014). Apple states that the new mini Mac computer is five times faster than the previous Mac Mini.
Apple Mac Mini (2018) Key Specifications
- Dimension — 1.4 in x 7.7 in x 7.7 in (H x W x D)
- Weight — 2.9 pounds (1.3 kg)
- Ports — 4 x Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports, 3.5mm headphone jack, 2 x USB 3.0 ports, 1 x HDMI 2.0 port, 1 x Gigabit Ethernet port,
- GPU — Intel UHD Graphics 630
- Operating system — macOS
- Connectivity — WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n; Bluetooth 5.0, Gigabit Ethernet up to 10Gb
Design
Unlike the newly announced iPad Pro (2018) which most has most of the modifications on the outside body, Apple is focusing on the inside with the Mac Mini (2018). The new computer comes in the same square-shaped aluminum shell as its predecessor; nothing new. The only aesthetical change Apple made to the Mac Mini is the addition of a new “Space Gray” color variant.
Like the Mac Mini (2014), the new mini Mac computer is laced with a number of ports on the rear; four USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 3 compatibility, two USB 3.0 ports, one HDMI 2.0 port, and a single ethernet port. There is also a 3.5mm jack for plugging audio headphone.
Storage and Processor
As mentioned earlier, everything about the new Mac Mini (2018) is better than the previous generation. The memory of the computer starts at 8GB and now maxes at 64GB, compared to the 16GB maximum capacity of the Mac Mini 2014. Per built-in storage, the device has a base capacity of 128GB but users will be able to choose between other storage variants of 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2 Terabytes.
The new Mac also comes in two processor options. Both are Intel’s 8th generation CPU and are likewise paired with Intel UHD 630 graphics but have four and six cores respectively. The quad-core processor is an Intel Core i3 CPU with a clock speed of 3.6GHz while the second variant has a Core i5 CPU with base clock speed of 3.0GHz.
Both models can be tweaked and upgraded to a Core i7 CPU clock speed of 3.2GHz and support for Turbo Boost of up to 4.6GHz. Although cranking up the internal and base configurations of the Mac Mini (2018) will cost a lot, the mini computer is now a more powerful ‘powerhouse’.
Price and Availability
Like other hardware announced by the Cupertino-based tech giant at its October 31 event, the Mac Mini (2018) is available on pre-order while official shipping will commence by November 7, 2018.
The base model of the latest mini Apple computer with 8GB DDR4 memory and 128GB PCIe-based SSD starts at $799. The highest and most cranked up model (64GB RAM, Intel Core i7, 2TB SSD, and Intel UHD 630 GPU) will cost you more than $4200. Other configurations fall in between the $799 — $4200 price range.
