Mac mini price raised to $799
- Apple has effectively killed the $599 Mac mini by removing the 256GB M4 model from its store, leaving $799 as the new U.S. entry price. (apple.com) - The key shift is storage: the cheapest Mac mini now starts at 512GB for $799, while Apple says Mac mini and Mac Studio shortages may last months. (apple.com) - That matters because the Mac mini had been Apple’s cheapest new Mac since its October 2024 redesign, when the M4 version launched at $599. (apple.com)
Apple’s cheapest desktop just got meaningfully less cheap. The Mac mini still exists, and Apple did not slap a higher sticker on the exact same configuration in Apple’s store, so the practical starting price for a new Mac mini in the U.S. is now $799. At the same time, Apple is warning that Mac mini and Mac Studio supply could stay tight for months. ### What actually disappeared? The missing model is the base M4 Mac mini with 256GB of storage. Apple’s Mac mini is no longer being sold directly by Apple. ### Is this a real price hike? Basically, yes for shoppers, even if not in the narrowest technical sense. Apple did not turn yesterday’s 512GB Mac mini from $799 into $899. Instead, it removed the cheaper 256GB option. So the lineup’s “starting at” price rose by $200, which is what most people actually feel when they go to buy one. ### Why would Apple do that now? The short answer is supply pressure. Tim Cook said on Apple’s fiscal Q2 2026 earnings call that demand for the Mac mini and Mac Studio came in higher than expected, and that both products may take several months. Apple’s store has shown some Mac mini configurations as unavailable, which is unusual for a mainstream Mac. ### Why is the Mac mini the one people care about? Because it has been the cleanest entry point into the Mac lineup. When Apple unveiled the $599 starting price and 16GB of memory. That gave buyers a relatively affordable desktop Mac with Apple’s latest mainstream chip. Removing that tier changes the whole feel of the lineup. ### What do buyers get for $799 now? More storage, mainly. To some buyers, that is a better-balanced machine than 256GB ever was. But the catch is simple — people who were fine with external storage or lighter workloads no longer have a cheaper official option. ### Does the software news change this? Not really. Apple seeded macOS 26.5 release candidate on May 4, 2026, so there is fresh Mac software. Most shoppers will notice the hardware change first. ### Who gets hit hardest? Budget buyers, schools, and small businesses. The Mac mini has long been the “bring your own monitor and keyboard” Mac for people who wanted macOS at the lowest possible price. A $799 floor does more damage to the platform. That is especially true if supply stays tight and discounts stay scarce. ### Bottom line? The Mac mini did not become a worse computer this week. It became a less accessible one. Apple’s lineup now starts higher, the cheapest tier is gone, and for anyone counting on a new $599 Mac, that option has effectively vanished — at least for now.
