Apple's M4 Mac Mini Will Drop USB-A Ports

Tech giant Apple has not made any major changes in Mac mini‌ design in many years, but that's set to change in 2024. Apple is expected to introduce the first design change since 2010 by slimming down further the ‌Mac mini‌.

The ‌Mac mini‌ is expected to be Apple's smallest ever desktop computer with a chassis that is around the size of the Apple TV. While it will have an Apple TV-like footprint, the ‌Mac mini‌ is expected to be slightly taller than the current ‌Mac mini‌, which is 1.4 inches tall.

It has also been recently reported and discussed online that the new Apple’s M4 Mac mini will have a ton of ports, but not a single one of them will be USB-A.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is ditching USB-A ports with the upcoming Mac mini. The company is working on a standard and Pro version of the computer, and while it won’t have USB-A, the Mac mini with the M4 Pro chip will have five USB-C ports, an ethernet port, HDMI and a headphone jack.

The new Mac mini is also expected to have an internal power supply. Gurman reports that the standard and Pro versions will begin shipping to warehouses in September and October, respectively.

In the Power On newsletter, Gurman also reported that Apple is working on a cheaper, pared down version of its Magic Keyboard that’s slated to launch "by the middle of next year."

The company introduced a new Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro this spring, and Gurman indicates it’s now turning its attention to the non-Pro devices. He writes that the upcoming accessory "will be a low-end version that may be designed for an entry-level iPad or the new iPad Airs."

The ‌Mac mini‌ was last refreshed in January 2023, so it will be close to two years old when it is updated. Apple often does Mac refreshes in October or November, so we could see the M4 ‌Mac mini‌ sometime in that timeframe.