Supply Shortages Hint at Possible Mac Mini Refresh
AppleInsider claims that it has received multiple reports of supply shortages in Apple's Mac mini line, suggesting that an update may be approaching. The reports come from both purchasers looking to place volume orders as well as from checks of reseller supplies. MacRumors has heard similar whispers in recent days, although a time frame for a release is currently unknown.
The shortage has been verified four times over by AppleInsider, which has received numerous reports that suggest the constraints are indicative of new models on the horizon, rather than intermittent delays resulting from the onset of the back-to-school buying season, which sometimes sees Apple curb the flow of Macs to its distribution channels in favor of filling large orders to universities.
Rumors of potential updates to the Mac mini have been sparse, in part due to the fact that the line is only just now approaching the end of its usual product cycle, having been revamped last October.
Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) next week might initially appear to be an opportunity for Apple to launch new Mac minis, but the developer focus of the annual event has typically restricted product announcements primarily to the company's professional lines. Consequently, even if a refresh is imminent, it may not appear until a quiet update in the days or weeks following WWDC.
A report from earlier this year suggested that Apple may be planning to replace the Mac mini's existing DVI output with HDMI, making the machine more easily compatible with home theater systems. Sources have been otherwise quiet about what might be included in an update, although the Mac mini may face some of the same issues experienced with the 13" MacBook Pro related to a licensing dispute between Intel and NVIDIA. Those issues, combined with technical constraints in the MacBook Pro's small form factor that may or may not necessarily be shared in the Mac mini, led Apple to continue using Intel's Core 2 Duo processors in its smallest pro notebook in the latest revision rather than switching to the Core i5 or i7 offerings used in the larger MacBook Pros.
Popular Stories
Barclays analyst Tom O'Malley and his colleagues recently traveled to Asia to meet with various electronics manufacturers and suppliers. In a research note this week, outlining key takeaways from the trip, the analysts said they have "confirmed" that a fourth-generation iPhone SE with an Apple-designed 5G modem is slated to launch towards the end of the first quarter next year. In line with previo...
Apple released the AirTag in April 2021, so it is now three over and a half years old. While the AirTag has not received any hardware updates since then, a new version of the item tracking accessory is rumored to be in development.
Below, we recap rumors about a second-generation AirTag.
Timing
Apple is aiming to release a new AirTag in mid-2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman....
While the Logitech MX Master 3 is a terrific mouse for the Mac, reports claiming that Apple CEO Tim Cook prefers that mouse over the Magic Mouse are false.
The Wall Street Journal last month published an interview with Cook, in which he said he uses every Apple product every day. Soon after, The Verge's Wes Davis attempted to replicate using every Apple product in a single day. During that...
Apple today released iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1, minor updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that debuted earlier in September. iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 come three weeks after the launch of iOS 18.1.
The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released iOS 17.7.2 for...
AT&T has begun displaying "Turbo" in the iPhone carrier label for customers subscribed to its premium network prioritization service, according to reports on Reddit. The new indicator seems to have started appearing after users updated to iOS 18.1.1, but that could be just coincidence.
Image credit: Reddit user No_Highlight7476
The Turbo feature provides enhanced network performance through ...
In a research note with Hong Kong-based investment bank Haitong today, obtained by MacRumors, Apple analyst Jeff Pu said he agrees with a recent rumor claiming that the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" will be around 6mm thick.
"We agreed with the recent chatter of an 6mm thickness ultra-slim design of the iPhone 17 Slim model," he wrote.
If that measurement proves to be accurate, there would be ...
The iOS 18.1.1, iPadOS 18.1.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 updates that Apple released today address JavaScriptCore and WebKit vulnerabilities that Apple says have been actively exploited on some devices.
With the JavaScriptCore vulnerability, processing maliciously crafted web content could lead to arbitrary code execution. The WebKit vulnerability had the same issue with maliciously crafted...
