Apple discontinues base Mac mini, now starts at $799 with 512GB storage

Last week, the base model $599 Mac mini with 256GB went completely out of stock at the Apple Store. After extended delays, Apple updated the shipping estimates to simply say “currently available.”

Now, Apple has taken the next step: the base model $599 Mac mini is no longer listed on its website at all. It has effectively been discontinued.

Mac mini supply shortages worsen

With this change, the M4 Mac mini’s starting price is now $799 for 512GB of storage, as spotted by MacRumors. That’s not a price increase compared to what a 512GB Mac mini sold for yesterday. It does, however, raise the floor of the Mac mini’s configuration pricing.

The 512GB version of the M4 Mac mini with 16GB of memory is currently backordered until June. If you order one today, Apple says you’ll get it sometime in the second or third week of June. If those shipping estimates continue to slip, it’s certainly not out of the question that Apple will have to mark this one as “currently unavailable” as well.

Various other higher-end Mac mini configurations are listed as “currently unavailable” on Apple’s website, including all M4 models with 32GB of memory. Many others are quoting delivery times of 10-12 weeks.

Meanwhile, the Mac mini is also widely backordered or sold out completely on Amazon in most configurations.

During Apple’s Q2 earnings call yesterday, Tim Cook attributed the Mac mini and Mac Studio shortages to higher-than-expected demand, as well as the “advanced nodes” on which Apple’s chips are produced.

“On the Mac mini and the Mac Studio, both of these are amazing platforms for AI and agentic tools, and the customer recognition of that is happening faster than what we had predicted, and so we saw higher than expected demand.”

He added that it may take “several months” to reach a supply-demand balance with the Mac mini and Mac Studio. So, if you were hoping this would be a temporary blip, you might want to make other purchasing plans. Additionally, the 256GB Mac mini configuration being removed completely from Apple’s website is a good indication it’s never coming back.

Over in the land of MacBook Neo, Cook said shortages have been driven by Apple seeing “higher than expected demand.” On Apple’s website, MacBook Neo shipping times currently sit at around 2-4 weeks in most configurations. On Amazon, you can get one as soon as tomorrow in some areas.

My favorite Mac accessories:

• Logitech MX Master 4 Mouse
• OWC Thunderbolt 5 Hub
• Beats Pill
• Twelve South BookArc
• Satechi’s USB-C 165W GaN Charger

Follow Chance: Threads, Bluesky, Instagram, and Mastodon.