The Mac mini is Apple's most affordable computer, and it has found uses not only in homes and schools, but also in embedded applications such as kiosks, and even as servers. It might not have the visual wow factor of an iMac or the portability of a MacBook, but it's the only Mac many people can afford. Apple has now updated it with its latest M2-generation processors, and for the first time, you have a choice between the standard M2 and the more powerful M2 Pro.
The starting price has been reduced a little with this generation, and interestingly since Apple hasn't yet released a Mac Pro with Apple Silicon, this miniature desktop can reportedly outperform its now-outdated yet far more expensive sibling by large margins in multiple kinds of tests. While a new Mac Pro is likely just around the corner and the Mac Studio is also an option, it's well worth reading our review to see whether the Mac mini will meet all your needs. I also have a shiny new Apple Studio Display and a suite of accessories to use with the Mac mini, and I'll tell you what they are like as well.
Apple Mac mini (M2 Pro, 2023) price in India
The new Mac mini is priced at $599 onwards in the US, which is $100 less than the previous generation's starting price. Due to exchange rate fluctuations, the difference in India isn't quite as substantial, but Rs. 59,900 is still better than Rs. 64,900 which was the starting price of the M1 Mac mini from 2020. At this price, you get the M2 SoC with eight CPU cores and 10 GPU cores, plus 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD.
The M2 Pro-based variants give you either 10 CPU cores with 16 GPU cores for Rs. 1,29,900, or 12 CPU cores with 19 GPU cores for Rs. 1,59,900. All Mac minis can be configured with optional Gigabit Ethernet for an additional Rs. 10,000. You also get four Thunderbolt 4 ports on M2 Pro configurations, versus two if you choose an M2 CPU.
One big downside to Apple Silicon-based Macs is that the RAM is part of the SoC, and storage is soldered to the motherboard, making upgrades impossible. If you want better specs, you have to choose them at the time of purchase, and upgrades are still illogically expensive. Going from 8GB to 16GB of RAM will cost Rs. 20,000. There's now a 24GB option priced at Rs. 40,000 over and above the base price for the M2 versions, and strangely, it costs the same to go from 16GB to 32GB on the M2 Pro option.
It will cost you Rs. 20,000 more to get a 512GB SSD instead of 256GB; 1TB will cost Rs. 40,000 more and the 2TB option will raise the price by an astronomical Rs. 80,000 – many times more than what retail SSDs of those capacities usually sell for. Keep in mind that Apple uses slightly slower SSDs for its base 256GB configurations; a fact that isn't explicitly stated on the spec sheet.
All this means it's possible to spend Rs. 4,49,900 if you max out all the specifications – and that's without a monitor, keyboard or mouse. You get nothing in the box other than the Mac mini itself, a power cord, a few leaflets, and the customary Apple logo sticker. The version tested here has an M2 Pro SoC, 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, bringing its price to Rs. 1,79,900.
The 27-inch Apple Studio Display that I have with me for this review will cost another Rs. 1,59,900. You you can choose a “nano-texture” matte panel finish for Rs. 30,000 more and swap the basic stand for a height-adjustable one for an additional Rs. 40,000. To complete the look, Apple's Magic Mouse costs Rs. 9,500, the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad is a whopping Rs. 19,500, and the Magic Trackpad is another Rs. 14,500.
Apple Mac mini (M2 Pro, 2023) design
Surprisingly, nothing has changed about the look of the Mac mini since the removal of optical drives in 2011. Apple was clever about keeping its design unchanged in 2020, which focused all attention on its big switch to in-house processors and minimised any perception of disruption. However, the iMac, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro have all received major design updates now, and it would have been nice to see Apple try something new.
The Mac mini is still extremely portable at 1.28kg in weight, and looks quite unassuming on a table. It's just under 200mm square and is 358mm tall. There's no easy way to mount it to the back of a monitor, which is possible with many other mini PCs. The front is completely blank except for a tiny white power LED, and the top has a black Apple logo. The base is slightly raised on a plastic disc to allow air to be vented, and for the various antennas.
You have to reach around the rear to get to the power button. The Mac mini continues to have a built-in power supply so there's a simple mains connector for a two-pin power cord, and no need for an external brick. You'll also find a large air vent here. In terms of ports, there's Ethernet, two or four Thunderbolt ports (depending on which configuration you choose), an HDMI 2.0 video output, two USB Type-A ports, and a 3.5mm audio socket. The continued presence of legacy ports is good to see but I would have liked some on the front for convenience, like on the Mac Studio.
Apple Mac mini (M2 Pro, 2023) specifications and software
I've already covered the CPU, RAM, and storage options for the new Mac mini, plus its ports. The rest of the hardware is fairly straightforward – there's Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, plus you get a built-in speaker (though sound quality is extremely basic). What's most interesting is the M2 CPU family itself, and the fact that there's a beefier Pro option for the first time.
The M2 family benefits from generational improvements in clock speed due to a refined 5nm TSMC manufacturing process. CPU performance is said to be 18 percent better, graphics performance is up by 35 percent, and the dedicated “Neural Engine” logic for AI workloads is 40 percent faster. You also get more GPU cores and higher memory bandwidth, according to Apple. Video decode has seen some improvements and there's now native acceleration for ProRes video encoding. Battery life isn't a consideration for the Mac mini, but the M2 should also make the recently refreshed MacBook Pro and iPad Pro models more power efficient.
The base M2 is an improvement over the base M1, and the M2 Pro will beat the M1 Pro. However, the base M2 won't be able to outperform the M1 Max or M1 Ultra. The generational uplift doesn't outweigh the impact of bumping up core counts. Even so, your choice should be dictated by workload. For example, only the M2 generation can accelerate ProRes and ProRes RAW decode letting you play multiple 4K or 8K video streams in these formats.
One more thing to factor in when deciding between the M2 and M2 Pro-based Mac mini is support for external displays. The entry-level CPU drives only enough bandwidth for one 6K and one 5K monitor, both at 60Hz. The M2 Pro can output video to up to either one 8K display at 60Hz, one 4K display at 240Hz, or two 6K plus one 4K panel at 60Hz simultaneously.
As for software, the 2023 Mac mini comes with macOS 13, also known as Ventura. My unit forced an update to version 13.2.1 on first boot, which required a 3.25GB download. Most of the changes and improvements in this version concern the built-in apps such as Safari, Mail, Photos, and Messages, which not everyone uses.
There's also the new Stage Manager multitasking view, which I didn't find particularly useful; a totally redesigned Settings app that's more consistent with iOS, more useful Spotlight search results, text recognition within videos, and more. If you use multiple Apple devices you'll appreciate things like AirDrop to share files easily, Continuity to let you pick up where you left off on another device, synchronised Focus modes, and of course easy access to iMessage, FaceTime, and your photo collection.
Apple Mac mini (M2 Pro, 2023)
Price: Rs. 1,79,900 (as reviewed)
Pros
- Excellent performance
- macOS and iCloud ecosystem
- Compact and quiet
- Built-in power supply
- Powerful M2 Pro CPU option
Cons
- RAM and storage not upgradeable
- Expensive configuration options
- Some functionality requires expensive accessories
Ratings (out of 5)
Design: 3.5
Performance: 4.5
Software: 4.5
Value for Money: 4
Overall: 4
