Two years after the M4 Mac mini debuted with a slotted, removable SSD, Apple has reversed course. The new Mac mini — both M5 Pro and M6 versions — now has soldered NAND storage, making upgrades impossible. Expand Mac Mini.com confirmed the change, and Apple's repair documentation currently shows only a specifications sheet with no SSD replacement procedure.

Conversely, the new Mac Studio retains a slotted SSD with serialized components. Apple has published repair documentation for both M5 Max and M5 Ultra models detailing SSD module replacement, though modules are model-specific. The Mac Studio can include two SSD modules depending on configuration. Previously, the M4 Mac mini and M1/M2 Mac Studio allowed user upgrades; AppleInsider's Mike Wuerthele successfully upgraded an M4 Mac mini and monitored it for six months without issues.

Apple charges a premium for factory SSD configurations, so the Mac mini's return to soldered storage limits cost-saving options. The Mac Studio remains the only current desktop Mac with a physically replaceable SSD, albeit tied to proprietary, serialized modules.