Apple has announced new versions of its Mac Mini and Mac Studio, featuring upgraded chips specifically designed for artificial intelligence tasks. The new Mac Mini can be configured with the M6 and M5 Pro chips, with the M5 Pro capable of processing large language model prompts 8.5 times faster than previous versions.
The starting price for the Mac Mini has increased to $899, reflecting rising memory costs. The Mac Studio, which is aimed at AI researchers, offers configurations with the M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips, with the M5 Max enabling nearly four times faster performance for large language models compared to its predecessor.
The Mac Studio starts at $2,499 for the M5 Max and $5,499 for the M5 Ultra, with the latter being a more powerful option that can be linked with other units for enhanced performance. These updates come as Apple prepares for the upcoming release of new iPhone models, underscoring the importance of desktop computers in its strategy to capture a share of the AI development market.
The new models will be available for presale and will ship on September 22