CUPERTINO: Apple has unveiled upgraded versions of its Mac mini and Mac Studio, strengthening its desktop lineup as demand for powerful hardware capable of running artificial intelligence applications continues to grow.
The new Mac mini starts at $899, making it $100 more expensive than the previous generation. Apple is offering the compact desktop with either its new M6 chip or the higher-performance M5 Pro.
The company said the latest Mac mini is designed for a range of uses, from conventional home computing to professional workloads and emerging applications involving autonomous AI agents.
Apple’s hardware chief Johny Srouji described the computer as a versatile device that can serve as a home computer, professional workstation or an always-on AI system.
New Mac mini Targets AI Users
The new Mac mini is expected to appeal particularly to users who want to run AI applications locally rather than relying entirely on cloud-based services.
One version features Apple’s 2-nanometer M6 chip, which the company says can deliver up to four times faster AI performance compared with the previous M4-based model. Apple also claims improvements of up to two times in graphics and storage performance.
The higher-end M5 Pro configuration offers up to an 18-core CPU and 20-core GPU, making it more suitable for demanding professional workloads such as visual effects and other graphics-intensive tasks.
Growing interest in local AI computing has also increased demand for powerful desktop machines capable of running AI models and autonomous software.
Apple Refreshes Mac Studio
Apple also updated its Mac Studio lineup with configurations powered by the M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips.
The machines are aimed primarily at developers, creative professionals and other users who require substantial computing power. Apple says the systems can run large AI models directly on the device and combine the processing capabilities of multiple machines for more demanding workloads.
Pricing for the new Mac Studio starts at $2,499 for the M5 Max model and $5,499 for the M5 Ultra version. The entry price represents an increase from the previous generation, which started at $1,999.
AI Boom Raises Hardware Demand
The launches come as the technology industry faces rapidly increasing demand for memory and computing components driven by the expansion of AI data centres.
Rising component costs have already contributed to price increases across parts of Apple’s product range.
The latest desktop upgrades also come at an important moment for Apple, with Tim Cook expected to hand over the chief executive role to hardware executive John Ternus in a closely watched leadership transition.
For Apple, the new Mac mini and Mac Studio demonstrate how its desktop computers are increasingly being positioned not simply as traditional PCs, but as powerful platforms for the growing market of on-device and agentic AI applications.