Hands-on with the M4 Mac Mini and MacBook Pro
The next generation of Apple silicon is here with the new M4 Mac Mini, MacBook Pro, and iMac. I recently got to go hands-on with the both latest 14-inch MacBook Pro and the new Mac Mini, which has been shrunk down and is actually now mini-er than ever.
Meet the new Mini
This new version of the Mac Mini is just about five inches square, although it certainly feels like a big computer when hooked up to an Apple Studio display and paired with an Apple keyboard and Magic Touchpad.
Besides a new body size, Apple has completely redesigned the thermal architecture in this smaller Mac Mini chassis. All the venting is now done through the foot of the unit, which is also where you'll find the power button.
Connectivity has also received an upgrade. The standard M4 model includes three Thunderbolt 4 ports, while the M4 Pro version steps it up to Thunderbolt 5. Both configurations feature Gigabit Ethernet, an HDMI port supporting up to 8K resolution, and two USB-C ports now conveniently located on the front, which is something that a lot of us have been asking for.
The base M4 Mini starts at $599 (currently $499 at Micro Center stores!) with 16GB of memory and 256GB of storage. From there, you can expand the amount of RAM and storage, and also jump up to the 12-core M4 Pro chip.
Photo: Jacob Bobo
M4 Architecture
The base model Mac Mini has a 10-core CPU -- four performance cores and six efficiency cores -- alongside a 10-core GPU. Meanwhile, there's also a 16-core Neural Engine, promising to accelerate AI workloads and optimize performance for creative professionals.One of the big new features is Apple Intelligence, which is a new AI ecosystem that runs right on the M4 (or earlier M-series chips). It includes features like system-wide writing tools for rewriting and summarizing text and enhanced Siri capabilities. What's cool is that most of this runs on-device -- this is mainly local AI -- so you're not sending all your data to the cloud. I'm a big supporter of local AI over cloud-based versions, and think it'll become a bigger issue in 2025 and beyond.
Studio Display Pairing
Now, let's talk about the Apple Studio Display pairing, because it really completes the setup. For under $1,500, you're getting a 27-inch 5K screen with high color accuracy. The display can hit 600 nits brightness, which is great for working in bright rooms. The built-in 12MP camera includes Center Stage (where the camera view can follow you around the room during video meetings), and the six-speaker sound system supports Spatial Audio.If you're coming from an old Intel Mac Mini, this is an absolute no-brainer upgrade. The performance difference is massive, and you're getting all these new AI capabilities. Even if you're on an M1 Mini, the jump to M4 is pretty significant, especially if you do any kind of creative work.
There's a reason the Mac Mini has long been the default go-to system for podcasters and studio producers, and with more AI coming into those fields, you'll want a system that's ready to run local AI, doesn't cost a fortune, and has the performance of a much more expensive machine.
Photo: Dan Ackerman
Don't forget the MacBook Pro
But it wasn't only the Mac Mini that got upgraded to the new M4 chip. Turning to the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4, this refresh offers a similar performance jump as the Mini, but in a clamshell laptop.The Liquid Retina XDR display has a nano-texture display option, and up to 1000 nits of brightness, plus the screen also has a new quantum dot layer that should offer even better color.
The biggest thing to me, however, is up to 24 hours of battery life, found on both this and the larger 16-inch M4 MacBook Pro. That's a big jump from the previous generation, which topped out at around 18 hours. Or course, like the Mac Mini, there's on-device support for Apple Intelligence, which is now baked into new iPhones and iPads as well.
We're currently testing both the Mac Mini and MacBook Pro, and will add performance scores and a hands-on video in the near future. Want to check out the new Mac Mini and Studio Display or the M4 MacBook Pro in person? Head down to your local Micro Center and get hands-on with them yourself.
Micro Center Editor-in-Chief Dan Ackerman is a veteran tech reporter and has served as Editor-in-Chief of Gizmodo and Editorial Director at CNET. He's been testing and reviewing laptops and other consumer tech for almost 20 years and is the author of The Tetris Effect, a Cold War history of the world's most influential video game. Contact Dan at dackerman@microcenter.com.
