Following reports last month suggesting that Apple could have a new M2 Mac mini in its plans, we have now seen a further clue that a revised version of the tiny desktop might be on the way – although speculation continues about the exact form it could take.
The latest indicator of an impending upgrade to the Mac mini was spotted by developer Steve Troughton-Smith, who observed that the Studio Display firmware contained the term “Macmini10,1”.
The rumor mill is a little unclear as to what new Macs are imminent; for what it’s worth, there is one concrete clue: the shipping Studio Display firmware references one unaccounted-for mystery machine — a new model generation of Mac mini (“Macmini10,1”). My guess: M2, not M1 Pro
— Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) April 12, 2022
As Troughton-Smith pointed out in his tweet, this would seem to be a reference to a yet-to-be-announced Mac mini. That prospect would surely seem even likelier given the level of recent rumor about a potential upgrade to the smaller Mac device – although in truth, we are yet to know exactly what Apple might be planning.
The current, fifth-generation Mac mini was one of the Cupertino company’s first machines to make the switch to Apple silicon back in November 2020. So, speculation has essentially centered on whether we can expect the next version to continue using an Apple M1 chip – albeit, moving to the more powerful M1 Pro – or whether instead, as Troughton-Smith suggests, it will get the next-generation M2 processor.
A 9to5Mac report last month, for instance, put forward the notion of the next Mac mini coming in M2 and M2 Pro-powered variants, potentially announced as soon as this year. But the noted analyst of all things Apple, Ming-Chi Kuo, also suggested in March that an updated Mac mini may not turn up until 2023.
