Apple's Upcoming New Mac Mini to Eliminate USB-A Ports, Fully Adopt USB-C Ports

As time moves forward, an increasing number of devices are adopting USB-C ports, while the traditional USB-A ports are gradually being phased out. For instance, Apple will eliminate all USB-A ports in the Mac Mini set to be launched this month, opting instead to use only USB-C ports.

The Mac Mini, a mini host computer launched by Apple that runs the macOS system, is described by Apple engineers as an iPad Pro in a small box, characterized by its compact size and powerful performance.

The current Mac Mini is equipped with Apple's M2 chip, offering two USB-A ports whether in the M2 or M2 Pro version, with the rest being USB-C ports. However, this year's Mac Mini, equipped with the M4 chip, will no longer offer USB-A ports.

Mark Gurman of Bloomberg mentioned in his Power On newsletter that the Mac Mini equipped with the M4 Pro chip will feature 5 USB-C ports, three of which are located on the back of the machine and two on the front, similar to the Mac Studio.

Given that it's a Mac Mini, its thickness still comfortably accommodates a 3.5 mm headphone jack, so the new Mac Mini will continue to retain the Ethernet port, HDMI port, and 3.5 mm headphone jack. Users can choose to use an HDMI monitor or directly opt for a USB-C monitor for easier integration with more USB-C devices.

In terms of chips, not only the Mac Mini will adopt the M4 series chips, but also the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro set to be launched next year will switch to M4 chips, although the specific chips used will vary by model and type.

Finally, Gurman also revealed that Apple will initially start shipping the new Mac Mini equipped with the M4 chip this month, followed by the shipment of the Mac Mini equipped with the M4 Pro chip in October. So, for those wanting higher specifications, please wait until October.