Apple's new M6 Mac mini is shipping soon, representing a giant leap over the original M1 Mac mini from November 2020. After introducing M5 chips in MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, Apple skipped M5 for the desktop, jumping straight to M6. The new model starts at $899 versus $699 for the M1. Design changed dramatically: the M6 measures 5.0 x 5.0 x 2.0 inches and weighs 1.5 pounds, down from 7.7 x 7.7 x 1.4 inches and 2.6 pounds. It resembles a shrunk Mac Studio with front-facing ports including two USB 3 Type-C ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Performance gains are substantial. The M6 features a 12-core CPU, 12-core GPU, and dual 16-core Neural Engine with GPU Neural Accelerators, versus the M1's 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, and single 16-core Neural Engine. RAM options now start at 16GB (up from 8GB) and go to 32GB. Networking upgrades include Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet (upgradable to 10Gig).

Display support expands to three monitors: two 6K 60Hz over Thunderbolt plus one 5K 60Hz over HDMI, or one 8K 50Hz/4K 240Hz over Thunderbolt plus one 5K 60Hz over HDMI. The M1 supported only two displays. Ports now include three Thunderbolt 4 ports (up from two), HDMI, and front USB-C, replacing the M1's USB-A and Gigabit Ethernet.