Guess what percentage of Mac buyers choose the Mac mini. Whatever your estimate is, the real number is probably lower. Much lower.
Despite selling so very few of them, it seems likely Apple keeps making and updating the tiny macOS desktop because many of them go to young buyers just starting on a lifetime of buying Apple products.
The little Mac desktop that could
The last major redesign for Mac mini came way back in 2010. Despite the 14-year gap, it’s not surprising Apple hasn’t updated the design. The actual surprise is that the low-cost desktop is even still on the market.
Analysts at CIRP said of the product on Wednesday, “It remains a slow seller compared to other models,” accounting for less than 1% of total Mac sales. Most U.S. consumers buy MacBooks, which make up 90% of Mac sales, according to CIRP.
Despite such a tiny number of buyers, Apple reportedly plans a major Mac mini redesign later in 2024. You can expect the pint-size Mac to shrink to about half the current size. And it likely will be one of the first Macs with the M4 processor.
The minuscule desktop almost certainly stays in Apple’s product lineup, and is getting that revamp, because many of them are sold to a critical demographic: young people.
Mac mini is Apple’s gateway computer
A Mac mini sells for a mere $599 — a full $400 less than the lowest-cost MacBook. But unlike cruddy, bargain-basement Windows PCs that serve as its chief rival, the budget Mac provides everything most consumers need. The Apple M2 chip at the heart of the current model has no problems with web browsing, streaming video, emailing or social networking.
And that’s enough for an important group of buyers. As Michael Levin and Josh Lowitz from CIRP indicated in their recent report, 24% of Mac mini buyers are under 24 years old.
Apple could charge more for the Mac mini, but doesn’t want to force young buyers to get a Windows PC. A student who gets through high school and/or college with a Mac mini will buy a fancy MacBook when they graduate. But someone who uses a cheap Windows PC might buy a pricy Lenovo or HP laptop … as Apple well knows.
In other words, if Apple sells a kid a Mac with slim profit margin today, the company will make up for it down the road. So Mac mini stays around and keeps getting updated.
