Two New Mac mini devices with Apple silicon have been listed on an authorized Apple reseller’s website, but will they be launched at WWDC this week?
An authorized Apple reseller has created placeholder webpages for ‘Mac Mini M2’ and ‘Mac Mini Tower M1P’ ahead of the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2022, but does that mean the Cupertino firm would announce two new Mac mini devices at the upcoming event? Apple is expected to make a slew of hardware and software announcements at its upcoming WWDC on June 6, 2022. The event is slated to start at 10 a.m. California time (1 p.m. ET) and will begin with a keynote by Apple CEO Tim Cook.
The last Mac mini was launched in 2020 when Apple updated its cheapest desktop with an M1 chip. While the next Mac mini was not initially expected this soon, a recent rumor suggested that a new M2 Mac mini could arrive as early as WWDC 2022. A few weeks ago, developer Steve Houghton-Smith spotted code in the latest Studio Display firmware that seemingly hinted at a new Mac mini being in the works, possibly one that’s powered by Apple’s all-new M2 processor. The latest developments now offer further credence to increasingly loud rumors that Apple will likely announce at least one Mac mini at its event on Monday.
Apple authorized reseller B&H Photo Video has set up placeholder product pages for ‘Mac Mini M2’ and ‘Mac Mini Tower M1P’ ahead of WWDC 2022. Initially spotted by 9to5Mac, the listings could be seen as another indicator that Apple plans to announce its next-gen Mac processor at the upcoming event. If the announcement does come through, an M2-powered MacBook Air will likely also be unveiled at the event, as tipped by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman a few weeks ago. However, whether a new M2 Mac mini will also arrive on the same day remains to be seen.
Two New Mac Mini Models Coming?
It is worth noting that listings on retailers’ websites are not always the best indicators of upcoming product launches, as they often create the placeholders in anticipation of certain products that may or may not be announced at an event. That being said, Gurman earlier claimed that Apple is prepping two variants of the Mac mini — one with the M1 Pro and another with the M2. So there’s little doubt that the Mac mini is due for an update at some stage, but the only question is whether that will happen this week or later this year at the company’s dedicated hardware event.
As for what to expect from Apple’s WWDC 2022 on Monday, the company will announce iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS 13, watchOS 9 and tvOS 16 at the event. In terms of hardware, Apple could unveil a new iMac Pro to replace the discontinued 27-inch Intel-powered model. In addition, new Mac mini models are an obvious possibility, as is a new Mac Pro powered by Apple silicon. There’s also talk about M2-powered MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, so it will be interesting to see if Apple will announce all these devices at its upcoming event tomorrow.
