In a year that begins marked by the general price increases of 2022, the Mac mini is a product that is in a very peculiar situation. Although it is true that there are models that have a high price, there is a factor that has meant that, over time and with new models, the Mac has not risen in price as we might think. It has even made it go down. And this factor belongs to Apple itself.
Apple Silicon processors guilty of the price drop
The Mac mini is a computer with which Apple wants to bet everything. Proof of this is the incorporation of the M2 and M2 Pro chips. But the incorporation of Apple Silicon chips not only makes it a professional computer for many more people. They have also been to blame for the fact that the Mac mini has been falling in price, with each new generation that Apple has introduced:
- Mac mini 2018, with Intel Core i3 cost 899 euros.
- Mac mini 2021 with M1 processor cost 799 euros.
- Mac mini 2022 with M2 processor costs 719 euros.
We are talking about a computer that, at its starting price, has dropped 180 euros at the same time that it has incorporated many improvements. If we look at the processors, the M2 is light years ahead of the Intel Core i3, if we talk in terms of performance and efficiency in Macs. An improvement that, if we look at this aspect, those 180 euros “fall short”, since we are getting a significantly more powerful, compatible machine that will last much longer over time, for a lower price.
Prices plummeted in 2020 thanks to the M1
Despite the price increases that shook the world in 2022, the arrival of the M1 processor also meant a price drop, especially on MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. And despite the fact that (unfortunately) the prices are currently higher, this is how it looked when the transition from Intel to Apple Silicon was made:
- MacBook Air 2020 with Intel: starting at 1,199 euros
- MacBook Air 2020 with M1: 1129 euros starting
- MacBook Pro 13” 2019 with Intel: starting at 1,999 euros
- MacBook Pro 13” 2020 with M1: starting at 1,499 euros
Currently, prices are more expensive on MacBook Pro and MacBook Air with the M1 chip, due to inflation in 2022. However, there is one thing to keep in mind in higher Mac models, in terms of processors: some models mount directly the base M2 Pro or M2 Max chip. Mac computers that have this feature are:
- MacBook Pro 14” and 16” (2022): M2 Pro and M2 Max
- Mac Studio: M1 Max and M1 Ultra
Just like in the 2019-2020 era, we had the M1 processors as the most powerful, while Intel was relegated to the background. Now that Apple Silicon is already consolidated, the Pro, Max and Ultra models are for Macs focused on a more professional sector. The “no last name” M processors are found in the Mac mini (base models), MacBook Pro 13”, MacBook Air and iMac.
