Apple seems to be gearing up for a major refresh of its Mac mini lineup. A recent discovery by MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris has revealed that the tech giant might be working on a new model with a significant design change and a boost in connectivity.

According to the code found within Apple’s software, the upcoming Mac mini will feature five USB-C ports. This aligns with previous reports from Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, who suggested that the new model would be equipped with a total of five USB-C ports, with two of them conveniently located on the front of the device.

If you’re familiar with Apple’s recent products, especially the Mac Studio, you’ll know that USB-C ports are becoming the standard. And considering the nature of these ports, it’s highly likely that at least some of them will be Thunderbolt 4 ports, offering blazing-fast data transfer speeds and support for external displays.

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Gurman also hinted at a significant redesign for the Mac mini, suggesting that it might be as compact as an Apple TV. This would mark a departure from the current model’s design, which has remained largely unchanged since 2010. Additionally, the new Mac mini is expected to be powered by Apple’s M4 and M4 Pro chips, offering substantial performance improvements over its predecessor.

While the current Mac mini offers a decent mix of ports, including Thunderbolt 4, USB-A, HDMI, and Ethernet, the new model seems poised to streamline the connectivity options by focusing solely on USB-C. This could simplify the setup for users who rely heavily on external devices and peripherals.

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• Apple’s October event might introduce M4 Macs, a new iPad mini, and more

Apple’s next event is rumored to take place in October, and the new Mac mini is expected to be one of the highlights. Along with the Mac mini, we might also see other M4-powered Macs and a refreshed iPad mini.