M1X Mac Mini With Added Ports Might Be Coming This Fall

The Mac Mini is perhaps one of the unsung heroes of the Mac family. Despite or perhaps because of its small footprint, many owners have used the small box in ways that Apple probably didn't initially design it for. Being one of the first to benefit from Apple's more powerful M1 Silicon only served to raise its profile as a multimedia workhorse, a reputation that Apple might actually build on with a new high-end Mac Mini that's coming in the next few months.

The Mac Mini can't beat MacBooks in terms of portability nor the Mac Pros in terms of power. What it offers, however, is a sweet spot between the two, in the form of a small, lightweight box that has served as multimedia servers and software development computers for a good number of Apple's customers. It's no surprise, then, that Apple chose it to be the development kit for its first processor.

Fast-forward almost a year later, Apple is apparently ready to upgrade the M1 Mac Mini to meet the growing needs of that market. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, a new Mac Mini is coming this Fall to stand as the high-end option of its line. That trait will primarily come via a new Apple M1X processor that will also power the next MacBook Pro refresh.

The M1X Mac Mini will allegedly also sport some new ports to accommodate more peripherals. One of those ports includes a magnetic power port similar to what the new 24-inch iMac has. There will also be a slight redesign, according to sources, with the use of plexiglass material as the box's top plate.

Given these latest rumors, it seems that Apple has an exciting few months ahead. Along with the M1X MacMini and MacBook Pros, the company is also expected to debut a completely redesigned iPad mini in Fall. And, of course, there's also the iPhone 13 and the Apple Watch Series 7 as expected every year like clockwork.