Leaked M1X Mac Mini Renders Reveal Thinner Shell, White Plexiglass Design

BY Sanuj Bhatia

Published 25 May 2021

mac mini front

Just a day after we learned that Apple could debut new MacBooks at WWDC 2021, Jon Prosser has shared some renders of the upcoming Mac mini that could also make our way at the event. The new renders show Mac mini in a stunning new thinner white shell design.

M1X Mac mini is expected to replace the current M1 Mac mini lineup. After Apple announced the M1 Mac mini, a lot of people complained that the whole machine could be fitted in a lot smaller shell since most of the space inside the M1 Mac mini is left empty. According to Prosser, that Mac mini was just an attempt to get the M1 chip in the hands of the developers.

The 2021 Mac mini is expected to come in a new external chassis with a “plexiglass” reflective surface on the top and covered by an aluminum enclosure on the four sides. Apple, following its new “white” theme design, is also expected to ship the M1X Mac mini in a white clamshell body. Jon says Apple has tested other color variants too, but it’s not confirmed if they’ll make their way to the final product.

On the ports side of things, the M1X Mac mini is expected to support the full array of I/O. Apple will reportedly expand the I/O to four USB 4 ports, two USB-A ports, one Ethernet port, and an HDMI output. Sadly, Jon says, Apple has ditched the SD Card slot on the upcoming Mac mini.

He says that Apple could debut its new Mac mini soon, but he hasn’t provided a timeline. Given the chip shortage, I don’t expect the M1X Mac mini to debut at the WWDC 2021 event. Moreover, Apple refreshed its Mac mini lineup in November 2020, and the company isn’t known to refresh its product very often.

If you wish to, check out the renders created by Jon and Ian in the gallery below.

Jon, adding to his comments about a new MacBook Pro at WWDC, says that Apple will hold a special press briefing after the WWDC 2021 keynote where the company will debut its new MacBook. The new MacBook Pro is expected to feature the same M1X chip, with a 10-core CPU and a 16/32-core GPU, along with a 14-inch or a 16-inch display.

What are your thoughts on the M1X Mac mini renders? Are you willing to wait for it? Or are you going to buy the current generation Mac mini? Let us know in the comments section below!