Surprise report: New Mac mini could land any day now

Apple is preparing to launch an updated Mac mini as soon as this week, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, citing unnamed sources. The new model, which could be the last product announced under CEO Tim Cook before he steps down on September 1, has been tested with M5 and M6 chips. The current M4 Mac mini, released October 29, 2024, has been out of stock since spring due to high demand for AI applications.

Apple may yet spring one final surprise of the Tim Cook era, with a new report raising hopes that the company plans to launch an updated version of the Mac mini “as soon as the coming days.” Writing for Bloomberg https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-25/apple-to-launch-new-mac-mini-airpods-5-and-oled-ipad-mini-timing-details , well-connected leaker Mark Gurman says Apple is gearing up to unveil the first new Mac mini in almost two years. He bases this on the testimony of unnamed sources “familiar with the matter.” The last Mac mini model, announced on October 29, 2024, featured a major redesign it was significantly smaller https://www.macworld.com/article/2514485/how-small-is-the-m4-mac-mini-really-this-small.html than its predecessor as well as a faster M4 chip. This machine has become extremely popular, Gurman says, for running AI applications, but the ongoing memory crunch means Apple has struggled to meet demand. The Mac mini has essentially been out of stock https://www.macworld.com/article/3088550/good-luck-trying-to-find-an-m4-mac-mini.html since the spring, with delivery times slipping into months-long waits. That isn’t to say that Apple necessarily thinks the new model will help in this regard. Gurman acknowledges that it’s unclear “how the new model will affect wait times,” as an updated mini is unlikely to require less memory than the current one. It seems more likely that Apple simply feels it’s time for an update, and the product’s popularity has pushed it to the front of the line. Gurman’s report is generally short on details, with little information offered regarding design although we can guess that another redesign would be a surprise so soon after the last one and tech specs, where he says only that models with both M5 and M6 chips have been tested. The main takeaway regards timings. Gurman says the new Mac mini could arrive ahead of the iPhone Ultra https://www.macworld.com/article/2629813/iphone-ultra-folding-design-display-specs-release.html and iPhone 18 Pro https://www.macworld.com/article/2953687/iphone-18-pro-2026-release-date-design-specs-rumors.html , which will appear in early September and likely on September 9, and even says it will likely be the last product to launch under Cook’s watch. Cook is slated to exit the CEO seat on September 1, which assuming Gurman’s speculation is correct gives a window of just seven days for the Mac mini to arrive. And we can rule out most of those days because they’re unsuitable for an announcement; by far the most plausible are Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. It could launch today, in other words. The mini is only one of the Macs getting an update this fall as part of a massive overhaul https://www.macworld.com/article/3197016/massive-mac-overhaul-expected-to-begin-this-fall-heres-whats-coming.html . For all the latest news and rumors, bookmark our regularly updated new Mac mini https://www.macworld.com/article/2964754/2026-mac-mini-m5-pro-design-specs-release-date.html superguide.