There’s no doubt that the Mac Mini line is in dire need of a refresh.
The 2011 Mac Minis now certified as “vintage” are based on even older processors: Intel’s second-generation Core i5-2415M, Core i5-2520M, and Core i7-2635QM chips. To put that in perspective, Intel just began rolling out its eighth-generation line, with additional chips hitting the market in early 2018. Here are the current three Mac Mini models:Īs the chart shows, the current Mac Mini devices sport outdated, fourth-generation processors and graphics. Meanwhile, based on Apple’s support policy, the last refresh will enter vintage territory between 20. To clear the air, Apple CEO Tim Cook confirmed in a recent email that “we do plan for Mac Mini to be an important part of our product line going forward,” eliminating any doubts about the product’s future. The idea was to address customers who were looking to move away from Windows-based PCs, and already owned those three external devices.īut the last refresh to the Mac Mini was three years ago, leading to speculation that Apple may be discontinuing the line altogether. Apple first introduced its miniature Mac computer in 2005, which served as the company’s first Mac-branded product to ship without a built-in display, a compatible mouse, or a keyboard. The Mac Mini line itself hasn’t seen a hardware refresh since 2014, but new units are supposedly on the horizon. It now falls between Apple’s five-to-seven year “vintage” window, and will become an official “obsolete” product in 2019. That means the device is no longer supported by Apple, thus it won’t be qualified for service or repairs.
Fitbit Versa 3Īpple recently updated its list of vintage and obsolete products to include the Mac Mini released in 2011.