Apple launches faster Mac mini, Mac Studio to tap AI boom

According to Business Recorder, Apple used a Tuesday event to unveil an upgraded Mac mini and a more capable Mac Studio, a debut that is probably the last major launch of Tim Cook's time as chief executive. The compact mini starts at $899 and can be fitted with either the new M6 processor or the M5 Pro chip. Its price sits $100 above the model it replaces.

Buyers wanting to operate self-directed AI tools like OpenClaw at home have pushed up demand for both machines, emptying stock at several Apple stores. The report points to rising memory chip prices, driven by strong demand from AI data centres, as a cost pressure that led Apple to raise some Mac and iPad prices in June. Apple claims the M6 variant, built on a 2-nanometer process, can reach up to four times the AI performance of the M4 model it replaces, with double the graphics and storage speeds.

Apple's M5 Pro configuration offers up to 18 cores on the central processor and 20 on the graphics side, targeting professionals doing visual effects work. The refreshed Mac Studio range adds M5 Max and M5 Ultra versions, priced from $2,499 and $5,499 respectively, compared with $1,999 for the earlier generation. Aimed at developers, the larger desktop can run big models on-device and link several machines together for heavier AI tasks.