Apple has refreshed its Mac mini and Mac Studio desktop lines with a focus on local AI development workflows. As developers increasingly adopt AI coding agents like Claude Code and Codex, cloud model costs have become prohibitive. Open-weight models such as Qwen and Deep Seek offer local alternatives, but standard consumer hardware like the MacBook Pro lacks capacity for larger models. The new desktops address this gap.

Both machines feature Apple's N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 support. Storage speeds reach up to 15GB/s, twice as fast as previous generations. The Mac mini includes 2.5Gb Ethernet standard, with a 10Gb upgrade option. Pricing starts at $899 for the M6 Mac mini (16GB memory), $1,699 for M5 Pro configurations, $2,499 for the M5 Max Mac Studio, and $5,499 for M5 Ultra configurations.

Preorders begin today with shipping on September 22, though the 512GB memory Studio configuration ships in late October. The devices will ship with macOS 27 Golden Gate, suggesting the annual OS update may arrive concurrently for other Mac users.