
New Mac Mini models feature M6 and M5 Pro chips, while Mac Studio lineup receives M5 Max and M5 Ultra upgrades.
AI-generated summary
The Mac Mini has seen increased demand recently due to its utility in running local AI agents. Apple previously discontinued the $599 base model earlier this year.
Apple on Tuesday unveiled a new Mac Mini that runs on the latest iteration of its “M” processors, the M6.
The base model of this device comes with 256GB of storage, 16GB of RAM, and costs $899. It’s available for preorder now, but the device will ship only after September 22, the company said.
Apple said the new Mac Mini’s AI performance is 4x better than the M4 model, and storage and graphics are twice as fast. The new processor has a 12-core CPU and 12-core GPU, as compared to the 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU on the M4.
Alongside the M6 model, there is also a Mac Mini with the M5 Pro chip. This model comes with base storage of 512GB and RAM of 24GB, and starts at $1,699. By default the M5 Pro chip ships with a 15-core CPU and 16-core GPU, and can be upgraded to a 18-core CPU and 20-core GPU.
Both variants have Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, along with a 2.5GB Ethernet port. Users can upgrade to a 10GB port as well.
The new Mac Minis will start shipping on September 22 with macOS 27 and Siri AI.
The Mac Minis have grown popular over the past year among tech enthusiasts for running local AI agents such as OpenClaw and Hermes. People were selling Mac Minis at marked-up prices on platforms like eBay earlier this year due to rising demand.
Besides the new Mac Minis, the company also released new Mac Studio models that run on the M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips, starting at $2,499 and $5,499, respectively. The M5 Max base model comes with 36GB of unified memory and 512GB of storage. The M5 Ultra base model has 96GB of unified memory and 1TB storage.
Earlier this year, the company discontinued the previous base model of the Mac Mini, which offered 256GB of storage and retailed for $599. It was until now offering the 512GB version with an M4 processor for $799 as the base model.
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
New Mac Mini and Mac Studio models will begin shipping on September 22.
Very likely · Within weeks

Fitbit co-founders James Park and Eric Friedman have launched Luffu Link, a $250 LTE-enabled wearable designed for family caregiving. The device tracks health metrics, enables voice logging, and provides location sharing to help families monitor well-being without constant check-ins.

OpenAI presented benchmark results for its Jalapeño inference chip at the Hot Chips conference. The system, developed with Broadcom, demonstrated superior throughput and latency compared to Nvidia's Blackwell, with full-scale deployment expected in 2027.

Apple has refreshed its Mac mini and Mac Studio desktops, introducing the 2nm M6 chip and the high-capacity M5 Ultra. The updates emphasize support for local AI inference and distributed machine learning workflows, catering to developers and researchers.

OpenAI has introduced Jalapeño, a new AI-focused ASIC developed with Broadcom. The chip reportedly delivers higher efficiency and lower latency than Nvidia's GB200/GB300 superchips, with small-scale deployment planned for late 2024 and scaling through 2027.

Uber rolls out a live video streaming feature for parents/guardians to monitor teens' rides via the driver's selfie camera, set to launch nationwide in the U.S. within weeks.

Smart monitors, with internet connectivity and operating systems, are increasingly pushing ads and tracking users, mirroring the privacy concerns seen in smart TVs. Manufacturers like LG and Samsung are using ad-serving OSes, potentially leveraging automatic content recognition (ACR) to track activity, raising significant privacy risks.