Upcoming M4-based Mac mini rumored to replace USB-A with more USB-C ports
The forthcoming M4 Mac mini redesign is expected to follow iMac's lead and ditch USB-A ports, in favor of an array of USB-C ports.
The current Mac mini form factor may change dramatically in its M4 incarnation.
A new report from Bloomberg follows up on earlier claims of a major redesign of the Mac mini, taking cues from the larger Mac Studio but in a notably smaller form factor. The M4 and M4 Pro-based form factor will allegedly be not much larger than the current Apple TV hardware, but taller.
The unit will feature three of the USB-C ports on the back, with two USB-C ports accessible on the front of the machine, as with the Mac Studio. The redesign will also offer HDMI and Ethernet ports, along with a headphone jack.
The M4 version of the Mac mini will likely be available ahead of the M4 Pro version, and could be arriving as early as October. Rumors have suggested that Apple could also update its MacBook Pro and iMac lineup before the end of 2024, with refreshes of the MacBook Air, Mac Studio and Mac Pro arriving in 2025.
Rumor Score: Likely
Read on AppleInsider
Comments
We don't need USB-A anymore. I don't buy anything that has USB-A. I always look for USB-C. If it uses USB-A, I don't buy it. It's simple. USB-C is designed to be future proof and will work for many devices for many many decades ahead, not like USA-A because of power delivery more so than data. A lot of devices don't require much power and USB-C is dynamic with power negotiations, ending the need for AC/AD adaptors.
Also, with USB4, there is plenty of room for high bandwidth data in the future. It's likely that optical fibers will be used in addition to copper cable. I can easily imagine how they just add optical fibers between copper connectors.
USB-C is incredibly user friendly. No more fiddling to orient. USB-C works every time you plug in.
If you have old USB-A devices, they can easily be retrofitted with USB-C adaptor.
Every dog has his day, but the USB-A's days are soon to be over for good and we will all have to adopt a new dog.
One thing I discovered about 12 years ago is that some external USB hubs have one or two power-only ports (no data transfer) which is really, really convenient. If those power-only ports have power all the time (even if the computer is turned off) even better. Yes, I could charge the devices with standalone adapters but sometimes it's really convenient to just have the device on the desk next to my Mac (where the hub is) and see when the device is fully charged.
Another I have a hunch that Apple will tie the number of USB ports on the new Mac mini to the type of SoC. Maybe 2 (or 4) ports for the vanilla M4 and 4 (or 6 ports) for the M4 Pro model.
Make it USB-c so it can draw decent power then add the SD card slot and a usb-c port to the existing 2 USBa ports at the end.
I'm fully capable and comfortable using and charging with both connectors, and for Apple peripherals I prefer Lightning. They're pretty scarce now so I'll have to switch to all USB-C soon enough.
USB-A will be avoided and I do have adapters for just about any contingency. I also agree that the way tech goes, USB-C being the standard for a decade or more is iffy. USB-A is still a standard for awhile but no longer the standard.
So for practical reasons of eliminating stupid dongles (which not only add cost but weaken connections too, not to mention look bad), having USB-A connectors even now in 2024 still makes logical sense, when space on a given device allows.
Personally, what I would like to see are more devices that push connectivity forward, such as a THUNDERBOLT thumb drive. Yeah, I'm sick and tired of the USB 3.0, 3.1 and 3.2 performance limitations compared to Thunderbolt 3 or 4. For crying out loud, give us super fast thumb drives with the fastest connection possible. You're still going to need the same USB-C connector anyway! And because Thunderbolt doesn’t use USB-A connectors, innovations like that could drive more adoption of USB-C over USB-A. In other words, give us more devices that require a USB-C shaped plug so more people are forced to use USB-C and we can then replace USB-A, once and for all.
As long as new devices continue to ship with USB-A ports, people will still find the ports useful to have on a modern computer. And because we are all Apple Mac fans here, each one of us know full well that aesthetics matter. Dongles aren't desirable. At. All.
My main reason to avoid USB-A now if that I don't need multiple cables for charging / connectivity. I can get rid of a lot of cables / adaptors if I didn't have USB-A devices.