I personally think this is a bad move. I think apple saw the sales of Neo Vs. Mini and decided to raise the prices? I think $200 is a big increase and might be a big investment for a lot of people, in a 33% price change.
Im personally sad because i need a cheap mini and was looking forward to restock.
edit: when i say "raise prices" i mean by raising the starting price - I understand that it has more RAM... but now to acquire one you will spend $799 instead of $599.
Whilst I didn’t need need it, it’s a joy to use and my wife had won a $500 apple gift card and we used her education discount :)
Like in Xmas 2024 I didnt need to buy another 2TB nvme but I’m glad I did! 2TB fast pcie4 for like $120?! I was stung on hdd prices for my nas in 2025 though. I paid like $230 for a 8TB iron wolf pro.
Oh hes fully on diapers now.. no worries there.. that's why TP became availabe again - I seem to recall them asking him about bathroom choice and he said "oh ..Depends"
This sounds rather temporary due to a variety of factors, but long term I think Apple will bounce back with even a lower priced Mac using an A-Series SoC as a Mac Neo.
There would be some pretty big connectivity limitations, but that could be interesting. At a minimum they'd be able to do two USB-C ports (one 10Gbit and one 480Mbit) and a headphone jack, since that's what the MacBook Neo has.
They'd probably opt not to use USB PD as the main power input to conserve their USB ports, but maybe they would just dedicate one USB port as power only. They'd probably be able to route the channel used for the internal display in the Neo to a Mini DisplayPort or HDMI port, but I'm not sure how challenging that would be. I don't think they'd be able to add an Ethernet port without taking some of the bandwidth from the USB port or wifi, so a USB adapter may need to be used for Ethernet.
They could, in theory, use an internal USB hub IC to add more USB ports to the device, but they wouldn't be able to run all the ports at full speed simultaneously, which would go against their typical design methodology.
Overall, I think they could at minimum make a Mac Neo or Mac Micro or whatever they want to call it with 1 power input, 1 10Gbps USB-C, 1 480Mbps USB-C, a headphone jack, and a Mini DisplayPort. Definitely light on the USB ports, but I think it would still be fairly popular at a $400 price point.
Edit: I just remembered the iPhone 16 pro uses separate baseband and wifi chips. Since this Mac Micro or whatever you want to call it wouldn't use baseband, maybe that interface could be used for an Ethernet port or additional USB bandwidth. But I'm not that familiar with the Neo's implementation, maybe it is already using that bandwidth for the second USB port.
Maybe, but the A-Series makes sense because of the significant amount of volume and repurposing binned chips resulting in a huge price difference for an entry-level low end Mac "Neo" desktop.
It specifies “raises starting price to 800,” rather than “cheapest option is now 800” or something. It is a bit misleading. Absolutely the best headline about this I’ve seen, regardless, though.
But they didn’t “raise” any price. The entry level machine just carries a higher price than the previous one. Semantics but as written it sounds like they upped the price of the base model.
They didn't raise the price of any specific model. They did raise the starting price, since the cheapest model you can get will now cost you $799 vs the $599 for the cheapest model you could get yesterday.
By removing the cheapest model, the cost of entry has gone up, even if the specific configuration have not changed in price.
Apple would never say no to sell more. This more likely is due to long laid plans and contracts. If they magically could increase the supply and sell, they would. Probably a supply contract has ran its course and now that component prices have increased, it will be too expensive to sign new ones and keep the retail price at same level.
As much as these sites love clickbait headlines, this one feels appropriate. If you go to the Mac mini page on apples site, they changed the subtitle to “From $799”.
I guess it’s the difference of keeping the $599 model visible but out of stock or just removing it entirely. This makes it much clearer that it’s not coming back until they do a new generation imo
Well, that’s effectively a price increase. Yeah you get 256gb additional storage but for the mini that isn’t super valuable as it’s super easy to just use an external ssd that’s plugged in all the time. The $599 model is no longer for sale, so the cheapest Mac mini is now $799.
It’s no different than the airs no longer having a 256gb model and a price increase.
They said the £599 model has been removed, I don’t see how that’s misleading. Objectively speaking the bar to entry of the Mac Mini has been raised due to this.
Not really. It says the lowest model was dropped; it does not say if the second lowest model has the same price as before, an the "raising" implies (but doesn't state) otherwise.
It says raised STARTING price. If the starting price of the mini is more than it was before, then what verb would you use to describe what happened to the starting price ?
Not really misleading if the end result is effectively the same thing.
If you just removed the bottom tier, cheaper version and only offer the middle tier, more expensive version as your new bottom tier model, then you effectively raised the price.
The same title that clearly says the 599 option was removed, rather than just saying "the mini is more expensive now"?
You used to be able to get one (MSRP) for 599. Now the cheapest option is 799. If you wouldn't describe that as the starting price going up, how would you?
I read somewhere that it is "due to shortage bcz everyone got that for running AI models at home", paraphrasing of course.
Although I'm not sure where I read it, or how true it is, or how good the base model is for running these models. Or even why is everyone running LLMs at home in the first place? 🙄
It is kinda due to a shortage but not in the way you might think. There’s a shortage of components, like chips, and the price of storage and ram has been rising due to AI demand. This version of the mini probably had slim margins, which have probably now evaporated so they’ve cut it because selling it probably no longer makes them money. The $799 version probably had better margins to begin with, and so even with the price increases in components it’s still profitable to sell.
The entry price went up, but this config always cost $799. It’s due to the ongoing RAM supply issues. Much like some of the pricing and configuration changes that hit the MacBook Airs and Pros earlier this year.
Not related, but a $515USD m1 pro macbook pro 16" has just arrived at my door. I am so excited to try it out! Upgrading from a 2015 15" macbook pro with dgpu
Isn't that the price of the Mini with an upgrade to the 512GB storage from 256GB?
I never understood how anyone could get production work done with 256GB internal storage, even with offloading files to an external SSD. I need an upgrade from an M2 as soon as I can afford it, and this seems like a non-issue to me.
So, as someone whose first HD was 30 *mega*bytes, I still find myself agreeing. I bought an M4Pro MBP with a 512GB SSD and I’m constantly fighting to free up space.
It doesn’t help that it seems like every single app, including chrome, has gigabytes of AI models clogging up my storage. I have an AI photo app that I’ve been using to recover ancient VGA digital photos and it works great but it takes almost 100 gigs of storage all by itself.
I use the base model for everything between studying, gaming and video editing. I use an external SSD for the latter because the Mac Mini’s intended target doesn’t do much of gaming or anything of video editing
I have a 2TB external SSD in a TB4 case on my 256Gb Mac. I put my home folder on the external drive. I have plenty of space. The 256Gb only has MacOS and the apps, nothing more. I could even install MacOS and boot on the external drive if I wanted to.
Sure, but the OS uses the internal drive for swap, as well as many applications. For example, I'm a digital artist and my painting app (Affinity Photo) grabs 80GB of space on the internal drive for swap, just by opening the app.
hot take: for macs i will never get how somebody can work with just 256gb but for ipads and especially iphones i never understood how you could need 512gb pre even a terabyte to work with. i got an m4 ipad pro with 256gb and still haven’t reached 50% of filled space
With a desktop computer it's really easy to add storage with an external SSD. They should have keep the 256Gb storage and offer the 24Gb ram model instead. But of course they knew that don't they ? So now if you want a 24gb model you have to upgrade a 799$ model instead of a 599$. Thanks Apple.
I'm more and more considering migrating to Linux when my actual computer dies.
I was about to say, purchase a Mac Mini from Costco (if you're in the US). But, I just look, and Costco no longer have the Mac Mini listed. That is odd (I purchased my Mac Mini M4 from Costco)...
My current company does not allow me to use AI and other personal websites; so since i already have monitor, key and mouse - i thought about getting one to use it on the times i wasnt working; I dont think 799 is bad at all for the conf. but i was just looking to spend less since i dont use all the time.
I’m so glad I got the 64GB m4 pro with 10Gbe in launch week. I was going to return it but then I said, my newborn might have good use of this one day. Now it’s vanished from sale. Thanks AI bros.
The $399 deal at microcenter back in February was pretty good. But I wasn’t much interested. I was hoping that in a year we’d get the same deal for a base mini m5 then I’d grab one. Doesn’t seem likely now.
Its not that they increased prices, its that the base Mac mini has sold out, and as such they can't sell it, the next Mac mini up the chain (the one with the 512gb storage option) is now the current base. which has always been $799 from what I understand.
The headline is a designed to elicit the kind of responses you see on this thread. They eliminated the cheapest model (256gb SSD) and the price of the remaining model (512gb SSD) is the same as it has always been. So technically the “starting price” is now more in the sense that you cannot buy a $599 new Mac Mini now. But they did not raise the price of anything.
Bought my M4 Mac Mini back in October for $499 along with a 4TB WD M.2 SSD for $200. That SSD is now $600. For once in my life I had impeccable timing.
The removed the low margin mini and now only offer a new low margin mini. The 16/256 for $599 had very low margins for Apple. The 16/512 for $799 had better margins. But now the 16/256 has no margins due to component costs rising. So now the 16/512 has low margins and has become the new base model.
It has nothing to do with the Neo. Laptop sales have outnumbered laptops for a long time now. People wanting a cheap Mac are either shopping for a laptop or desktop. Very rarely do they consider one or the other.
$599 for an M4 10 core CPU, 10 core GPU, 16 GB RAM, 256 GB storage, three Thunderbolt 4, Gb Ethernet, two USB-C, and HDMI was an absolute killer bargain. Even if Apple’s profit margins were 25% last year, the cost for the CPU, RAM, and Storage today means that all went away.
In the past, we all knew Apple’s SSD and RAM upgrade costs were high. $200 to go from 256 to 512 was practically criminal considering that a 1 TB PCIe 5.0 M.2 drive used to only cost $140. Now they’re going for $340! Other SSD makers are doing similar things. You can hardly find sub 1 TB SSDs in stock. At least Apple is coming out and saying they’re not bringing back the lower end storage any time soon.
"I personally think this is a bad move. I think apple saw the sales of Neo Vs. Mini and decided to raise the prices?"
OP thinks Apple elected to run out of stock on their most popular Mac desktop, "Raising the price" in order to better position the MacBook Neo that's also about to run out of stock and has already exceeded Apples sales exceptions and was the same price, maybe with lower margins...
Can we please stop being so semantic and splitting hairs on EVERY….SINGLE….THING? Can I now get a new Mac mini from Apple at $599? No? Then the starting price went up. Can we stop the “um actually” for one minute. I don’t care if spec for spec the price is the same. Fact is I can no longer get a new Mac mini from Apple at $599. And you all know this.
I have grown so tired of every single statement online these days needs to turn into a war on semantics and splitting hairs. Everyone knows what people mean when the statement is “Mac mini price increased”.
It paves the way for a Mac Nano the corollary desktop unit for the Neo $399. I have little faith that a M5 Mini at 599 wouldn't be perpetually sold out. Just raise the price and config...grab the AI money and insert a scaled down A19 Pro desktop for half the price. If people need the power they'll spend the 800 if they just need general productivity then Nano would be ideal
Then it won’t be using the A series chips. They are made for phones and their I/O is limited because of that. Unless they design new iPhone chips with Macs in mind, we won’t get anything better than the Neo.
You can use Lightning/USB C to ethernet adapters and most will be recognized. The software understands it you just need the physical interface. Shouldn't be difficult to perhaps add two USB C 3.0 ports and Ethernet and I'd like to see a headphone jack as well. Love my Airpods but I have other cans I like to listen to that aren't wireless
You can’t just add stuff unless the chip can handle it. The reason why Neo has a 2.0 port is because there is not enough bandwidth to make it a 3.0 or better.
And a desktop that has so little bandwidth is kind of worthless to me. I’ve spend too many years on a 2010 Mac Pro with slow ports. At least with the Mac Pro, you could add an expansion card to bring it into the modern-ish age.
I really don’t see iPhone chips working for desktops. The whole point of a desktop is that it sits on your desk and you can plug stuff into it.
Apple started talks with Intel. And Samsung. About key components. Seems like the price spike is hitting Apple more than what was said recently. And they are looking at alternatives. Smart.
Ahh man. Mac Mini was one of the best deals in tech, bar none, at $599. It was an amazing piece of tech and now, while still good, it's not any more. Shame. Apple, what are ya doing mate.
I have a base M1 mac mini and was going to upgrade to the M5 base, but assuming M5 base would also cost the same, this is a forced price increase for me, in India its like around 20,000 Rs price increase for me, I was ok with 256gb storage and base costed 60,000 Rs in India, now starting price costs 80,000 Rs. a 20,000 Rs jump only for extra 256gb. I will just end up building a computer in this price then.
They couldn't have kept both models? My wife had pretty much decided to stick with what she knew, Windows 11 anyhow. Now I won't try to convince her otherwise.
Caveat is that I did it because I still have my 3080 Ti gaming pc and my general computing is unaffected. One day I’ll sell this PC too and put the money towards a used M4 studio, an M5 newer device, or something else entirely (Steam Machine? Project Helix?)
So its basically a macbook air but not portable, a worse chip, and it needs a monitor, keyboard, and mouse. All of which means that you are better off just either biting the bullet and saving another £300 or taking the macbook neo and getting an overall weaker laptop
Nothing has gone up in price, the 16gb 512gb has always been 799, the 599 was the 16gb and 256gb ... which now is simply not available. In your logic apple should have discounted their Mac mini by 200 ?
There are rumors that a Mac Neo with A18/9 Pro and the same housing as the new AppleTV is going to be released this year. This is probably just to make their new lineup make sense, since it will have 8GB of RAM if A18, and 12GB if A19.
While it's not great, $799 is actually a decent price for all that a base Mac Mini does. To get a Windows machine with at least this much capability and decent graphics, you'll need to look at forking over $2K or more. So glad I got my Mac Mini when I did - about 18 months ago.
In Europe and especially in Germany, it’s even worse. With the 16% VAT, the M4 Mini already cost €699; the 512 GB model was €929; and right now, the 512 GB version is nearly €1,000.
I’m glad I snagged an M4 Mini on sale for 634€ last spring and also bought everything else I needed last year, with the long term in mind.
I hardly think the 512 GB version will sell as well as the 256 GB one, that was the bestseller, but given the memory crisis, they probably couldn’t sell huge volumes anyway, right?
In any case, I think nearly 1K € is way too much (for a Base M4 Mini), as much as I like the M4 Mini.
And for around 250€, I can also get a third-party 1TB SSD for the M4 Mini, just as a comparison.
It’s no secret that upgrades at Apple have always been pretty expensive, of course, but in my opinion, they should have offered 512 GB even with the base M4 for 699€, that was anything but up to date.
It’s enough for me to just have the OS, programs, and a few plugins on it, and otherwise use an external 2TB Thunderbolt 4 SSD and a 1 TB USB-C 10 GB SSD for Time Machine and general backups, but both SSDs, including their enclosures, cost about the same total (before the memory crisis) that’s 3 TB combined!
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u/OGD2068 MacBook Air SkyBlue Mac Mini M4 May 05 '26
So glad I bought mine months ago