The first reviews of the new M5 Pro and M6 Mac mini are starting to come out, and they concentrate on how the new processors make this smallest Mac one of the best buys, but at a price. Apple Insider described even the M4 Mac mini as being the "perfect headless Mac," and the device has long been an extraordinarily adaptable machine for countless different use cases and different users. It's now been updated with two new processor options, and unsurprisingly, reviewers are saying it's a more powerful hit than ever. That performance, though, comes alongside a much higher price than the Mac mini traditionally has had.

"It remains the best tiny computer you can buy," says The Verge review by Antonio G. Di Benedetto, "but $900 stings compared to the $600 of the last-gen." Gizmodo says much the same thing, that "boiled down to its base silicon, the new M6 Mac mini is essentially flawless." However its reviewer notes the publication said that of the last version, "except that one launched for $300 less." It also notes that Apple is presenting the New Mac mini as being "more of an AI Box" than its predecessor. Gizmodo, though, only shrugs at this, agreeing that "it's obviously better than the M4 version," but not regarding AI as a big reason to buy the new model.

Who it's for PC Magazine does say that the M5 Pro version "will definitely be a destination platform" for users who develop AI tools. Otherwise it, too, tends to sideline AI benefits for other users. Instead, this review says that the M5 Pro version "put on a show in our benchmarking tests, which is impressive for such a surprisingly competitive price." Price is relative, then, but for this review the cost of an upgraded M5 Pro Mac mini was enough to help secure it an Editor's Choice Award. Peta Pixel also concentrates on non-AI use. "Generally, the Mac mini is a good option for a photographer," summarizes its review. "[It] does have some limitations, but I genuinely believe it can work really well for many users, even advanced ones."

The chief limitation, as this review sees it, is the lack of Thunderbolt 5 ports. It also criticizes the Mac mini's speakers, "but that isn't unexpected" given that they've never been great. Price and performance The new Mac mini reviews are surprisingly consistent given that some publications were given the M5 Pro version and some the M6. But Ars Technica perhaps sums up all of them, saying that the price spoils the update. "The M4 Mac mini was one of Apple's best values ever," it says. "This one, not so much." The new processors do come with a higher price, which has been exacerbated by the global chip shortage. It's even a record price for the Mac mini range, starting at $899 and rising to a maximum of $6,799.