Apple announces powerful Mac mini with M2 & M2 Pro chipsets

Apple has announced the release of updated Mac mini systems with their new M2 & M2 Pro chipsets. 

Apple says that compared to the previous generation Mac mini, their new M2 and M2 Pro chips bring a faster next-generation CPU and GPU, much higher memory bandwidth, and a more powerful media engine to Mac mini, delivering extraordinary performance and industry-leading power efficiency.

"With incredible capabilities and a wide array of connectivity in its compact design, Mac mini is used in so many places, in so many different ways. Today, we're excited to take it even further with M2 and M2 Pro," says Greg Joswiak, Apple's Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing.

"Bringing even more performance and a lower starting price, Mac mini with M2 is a tremendous value. And for users who need powerful pro performance, Mac mini with M2 Pro is unlike any other desktop in its class."

The Mac mini M2 features an 8-core CPU with four high-performance and four high-efficiency cores, along with a 10-core GPU. Apple also says that the new model has up to 24GB of unified memory and 100GB/s of bandwidth.

This means activities like image editing in Adobe Photoshop are up to 50% faster than the previous generation.

Apple also claims that Mac mini is up to 5x faster than the bestselling Windows desktop.

The Mac mini M2 Pro features up to a 12-core CPU with eight high-performance cores and four high-efficiency cores, along with up to a 19-core GPU. Apple says the M2 Pro has 200GB/s of memory bandwidth — double the amount in M2 — and supports up to 32GB of memory.

According to Apple, the M2 Pro's next-generation Neural Engine is 40% faster than the M1, speeding up ML tasks like video analysis and image processing.

The two new models also boast expanded connectivity options.

The Mac mini M2 features two Thunderbolt 4 ports and support for up to two displays, while the Mac mini M2 Pro features four Thunderbolt 4 ports and support for up to three displays, with the M2 Pro featuring support for one 8K display, an Apple first.

Part of the Mac mini M2 and M2 Pro's release is Apple's continued commitment to reducing the level of plastic use in their packaging by 2025. It says that 96% of the packaging is fibre based, with recycled materials being used in the production of numerous mechanical components in the two models.

The Mac mini M2 and Mac mini M2 Pro will be available in Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, and New Zealand in February 2023.

The new Mac mini M2 system will be available starting at AUD $999 inc. GST, NZD $1,099 inc. GST, with an education version starting at AUD $829 inc. GST, NZD $919 inc. GST.

The new Mac mini M2 Pro system will be available starting at AUD $1,999 inc. GST, NZD $2,399 inc. GST, with an education version starting at AUD $1,849 inc. GST, NZD $2,209 inc. GST.

Apple also announced the release of the M2 Max chipset, which will be used in its upcoming 14 inch and 16 inch MacBook Pro devices.