This week, Apple quietly discontinued the base 256GB storage configuration for the M4 Mac mini worldwide, so that machine now starts with 512GB of storage with a starting price of $799 (up from $599 with the now-discontinued 256GB model). The M4 Pro models have always started at 512GB as well. Keep in mind that the 512GB storage tier for the (standard) M4 models always starts at that price; nevertheless, the Mac mini is no longer one of Apple’s most affordable Mac models. Only the MacBook Neo takes the crown starting at $599.
Over the past several weeks, we’ve been seeing severe supply constraints for both the Mac mini and the Mac Studio, largely due to the ongoing memory chip shortage and extremely high demand for those machines for AI-related tasks. Back in March, Apple quietly removed the 512GB memory configuration from the Mac Studio. Then, we saw significant shipping delays for the higher-memory configurations on both machines, with some marked as “Currently Unavailable.” The Mac mini’s 256GB storage configuration would face the same fate, as it was marked as “Currently Unavailable” until now.
Yesterday, during an earnings call, Tim Cook officially confirmed that we’ll continue to see supply shortages for both the Mac mini and the Mac Studio as demand rises. Hopefully, we’ll see an update to the Mac mini in the not-too-distant future with the M5 and M5 Pro chips, and it will likely start with 512GB of storage since Apple doubled the base storage across the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro lineups.
