The M4 Mac Mini could drop USB-A ports entirely according to new report

Mac mini ports
Mac mini ports (Image credit: iMore)

Over the last few months, we've been hearing about a major redesign of the Mac Mini, with the diminutive desktop expected to be much smaller than its current iteration when the M4 Mac Mini arrives.

Aside from hearing the possibility that the company may finally make 16GB of RAM the baseline for its new Mac models, it appears the I/O will see a shift, too.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman is reporting in his Power On newsletter that the Mac Mini will finally ditch USB-A ports - and the Mac Pro and Mac Studio could share the same fate next year.

Apple's Mac Mini to see port shakeup

According to Gurman, the M4 Pro version will offer five USB-C ports, with three on the back and two on the front.

It'll also include the Ethernet and HDMI connector found on current models, and a headphone jack.

The current Mac Mini lineup has two or four Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports on the back, but also maintains a pair of USB-A ports. That's the same as the Mac Studio, but the more expensive desktop also has two additional USB-C or Thunderbolt 4 ports depending on which model you opt for.

Apple has upset customers in the past with its willingness to adopt USB-C at the cost of USB-A, but the former is much more prevalent in 2024 - meaning the older connection could be on borrowed time.

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Lloyd Coombes
Contributor

Lloyd Coombes is a freelance writer with a specialism in Apple tech. From his first, hand-me-down iMac, he’s been working with Apple products for over a decade, and while he loves his iPhone and Mac, the iPad will always have his heart for reasons he still can’t quite fathom. Since moving from blogging to writing professionally, Lloyd’s work can be found at TechRadar, Macworld, TechAdvisor and plenty more. He’s also the Editor in Chief at GGRecon.com, and on the rare occasion he’s not writing you’ll find him spending time with his son, or working hard at the gym (while wearing an Apple Watch, naturally). You can find him on Twitter @lloydcoombes.