Get Ready To Upgrade: Mac Mini M3 Release Date Is Approaching Fast!!

By Rani Dhiman Last updated Oct 31, 2023

The Mac mini is frequently the first desktop Mac to obtain a new chip generation from Apple. Given the impending release of the Mac Mini M3, a new Mac mini may be announced shortly.

The purpose of this article is to assist you in deciphering the Mac Mini M3 release date. We’ve compiled all the material from facts and rumours in a single place with respect to the Mac Mini M3 release date and will offer an analysis of what is and isn’t realistic.

Mac Mini M3 Release Date

Here is the expected Mac Mini M3 release date along with the release date for Mac M3 Pro Mini:-

Mac Mini M3: October 30, 2024 event, or early in 2024
Mac M3 Pro Mini: October 30 event, or early in 2024

January 2023 saw the release of the M2 Mac mini by Apple. The M1 Mac mini was first made available in November 2020. The M1 and M2 Mac minis were released more than two years apart, however, keep in mind that production was also impacted by the outbreak of Covid during that time. Thus, even if the M2 Mac mini hasn’t been available for a year, Apple has had enough time to improve it.

Early in August 2023, Mark Gurman of Bloomberg revealed that Apple was using an M3 Mac mini for exploratory testing. Gurman added that the first significant point upgrade since Sonoma’s September release, macOS Sonoma 14.1, was being tested on the Mac mini and after the testing, they will announce the Mac Mini M3 release date.

The official release of Sonoma 14.1 is still awaited since it is currently in the latter stages of its beta cycle and has a release candidate available. Apple may schedule the formal release of Sonoma 14.1 to coincide with, or shortly after, the M3 Mac mini. Thus, we anticipate that Apple will introduce the new M3 model at the Apple event on October 30.

Apple also provides a Mac mini M2 Pro model. There are rumours that Apple will update the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips at the October 30 event. In that case, we might see a new Mac mini M3 Pro at the same time. Normally, when Apple releases a new M-series chip, it does not introduce the Pro, Max, and Ultra versions at the same time as the base chip.

It was also hinted that “Apple will unveil the M3 chip line – including the M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max at the October 30 event.

Apple is introducing 3 new Mac chips today: M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max.
They have a new breakthrough GPU architecture with hardware accelerated Ray Tracing, faster CPU cores and more. Even more efficient and powerful than previous Apple Silicon chips.#AppleEvent pic.twitter.com/l2cNWp3znt
— iEventTimer (@AppleEventTimer) October 31, 2023

We might have to wait a little while longer though for the exact Mac Mini M3 release date. Gurman stated back in August that the Pro, Max, and Ultra processors would be introduced in 2024, which means the M2 Pro Mac mini would be replaced with the M3 Pro the following year.

Pricing Of New Mac Mini M3

Right now, the normal configuration costs are $599/£649 and $799/£849.
No reports of pricing adjustments (though customers outside the US may hope Apple reverses the price increases from the previous two years, as they did with the iPhone).

The pricing of the M3 Mac mini has not been mentioned in rumours. To determine if Apple will raise prices or not, we can look at the company’s past pricing practices, present prices, and prior product releases.

The 3nm A17 Pro chip included in Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro is the company’s first 3nm chip. The M3, which will be the first 3nm chip for the Mac, is probably also going to be a 3nm chip. Therefore, it seems to reason that Apple would increase pricing to cover the expenses associated with developing and manufacturing those new chips.

However, Apple didn’t hike the costs of the Pro models when it revealed its iPhone 15 portfolio; in fact, it lowered pricing in some non-US locations. It’s encouraging that the M3 Mac mini may retail for between $599 and £649 and $799 and £849 when it is eventually introduced, or possibly even less in the UK and other non-US countries.

Mac Mini M3’s Processor And Specifications

M3: 8 CPU cores, 10 GPU cores, and more unified memory in a 3nm chip
M3 Pro: Additional unified memory, 18–20 GPU cores, and 12–14 CPU cores

In an article published by Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, the following is what to anticipate along with the Mac Mini M3 release date:

System on a Chip created using the 3nm process
8 CPU cores: 4 performance cores, 4 efficiency cores
10 GPU cores

M3 Pro

System on a Chip created using the 3nm process
12-14 CPU cores: 6 performance cores, 6 efficiency cores
18-20 GPU cores

According to many claims from various sources, a new 3nm technology will be used in the manufacturing of the M3. Regarding unified memory, Apple presently provides the 8GB M2 Mac mini standard configuration.

Check out more information here:

Gurman reports that the tested M3 Macs had more memory; the conceivable memory configuration for the M3 has only been mentioned in general terms. If Apple decides to increase memory, the base M3 Mac mini may ship with 16GB of RAM, which can be upgraded to 32GB or 48 GB.

Mac Mini M3’s Ports And Connectivity

In 2020, Apple changed the connectors on the M1 Mac mini to include two Thunderbolt/USB-C ports instead of the four found in the Intel-based Mac mini.

With the M3 Mac mini, which also has two USB-A ports, a gigabit Ethernet port, HDMI, and a 3.5mm audio jack, Apple is probably going to remain with this port arrangement. Apple may decide to go with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 instead of the Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 already present in the M2 Mac mini.

Design Of Mac Mini M3

With little information available about the design, rumours about the M3 Mac mini centre on the M3 chip. The 7.75 by 7.75 by 1.41 inch (19.7 by 19.7 by 3.6 centimetre) exterior design will remain with Apple. Although it’s probable Apple will alter the internal design due to the new 3nm M3, users won’t have to worry about it.

To sum up, the Mac Mini M3 release date is estimated to be on or before October 30, 2024. If there are any updates concerning Mac Mini M3 release date, we will update this article. The most up-to-date information in the field of technology may be found on our page, Digi Hind News.