Apple revealed new Mac mini and Mac Studio desktop computers on August 25, 2026, with pre-orders starting immediately in the US and other markets including Taiwan [1, 2, 3]. The updated Mac mini starts at $899 and offers two chip options: the next-generation M6 or the M5 Pro [1, 4]. Mac Studio begins at $2,499 and is configurable with the M5 Max or the new M5 Ultra [1, 4].

The Mac mini designs remain compact, continuing the form factor introduced in the 2024 M4 series [1, 2]. The M6 chip is Apple's first 2-nanometer chip, featuring a 12-core CPU and 12-core GPU paired with double 16-core Neural Engines, delivering AI performance up to four times that of the prior generation. Apple says the M6 "has the world's fastest single-thread performance" [1, 4]. The M6 Mac mini comes with 16GB unified memory standard, upgradeable to 32GB, while the M5 Pro variant supports up to 64GB [1, 4].

The Mac Studio with the M5 Ultra chip targets professional users with demanding workloads such as AI model training, complex 3D rendering, and high-resolution video editing. According to Apple, the M5 Ultra supports up to 36-core CPU, 80-core GPU, a 32-core Neural Engine, and a maximum of 512GB unified memory with a 1.2TB/s memory bandwidth. "The M5 Ultra targets professional creators needing large AI model training," Apple said [1, 4, 5]. The M5 Ultra uses UltraFusion technology to combine four chiplets, effectively merging two M5 Max chips into one to boost power [4].

Both Mac mini and Mac Studio support the latest connectivity standards including Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thunderbolt 5 [4, 6]. They come pre-installed with macOS 27 Golden Gate, which will be released broadly to Mac users this autumn [1, 3].

Some Mac mini units will be assembled at Foxconn's Houston plant, reflecting Apple’s push to increase US-made products [6]. The new Mac mini models will be the first to ship after CEO Tim Cook steps down on September 1, 2026 [1, 6].

Apple emphasized the on-device AI capabilities of the new chips, reducing reliance on cloud services to run or fine-tune large AI models [1, 3]. Mac Studio systems can cluster together to share memory and triple AI throughput compared to individual units, enhancing performance for professional workloads [5].

The new Mac mini and Mac Studio will begin shipping on September 22, 2026 [1, 2, 4].