Apple’s new Mac mini and Mac Studio are available today, September 22, 2026, with prices spanning from $799 (education) to $5,499 across four chip configurations. The Mac mini targets students, everyday power users, developers, and small-business owners, while the Mac Studio is aimed at professionals whose workloads demand hardware headroom most desktops cannot deliver. Both machines are built around Apple’s Neural Engine and Neural Accelerator hardware, and both ship with macOS 27 and Apple Intelligence features.
The lineup spans a wide range of needs and budgets, from a compact $899 desktop to a professional workstation at $5,499.
Mac Mini: The Compact Desktop for Almost Everyone
Starting at $899, or $799 with education pricing, the M6 Mac mini is Apple’s entry point into this desktop generation. According to Apple, it delivers up to 4x faster AI performance, 2x faster graphics and storage, and 40 percent faster CPU performance than its predecessor; those figures are manufacturer claims, not independent benchmark results.
The M5 Pro configuration starts at $1,699 ($1,599 for education) and raises the ceiling considerably: an 18-core CPU, a 20-core GPU, up to 64GB of unified memory, and 307GB/s memory bandwidth.
Key specs across both Mac mini models:
- Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and 2.5Gb Ethernet standard; 10Gb Ethernet available as an option
- M6 starts at 16GB unified memory, configurable to 32GB
- M5 Pro supports up to 64GB unified memory
- Both models ship with macOS 27 and Apple Intelligence
Mac Studio: Built for Demanding Professional Workloads
Mac Studio with M5 Max starts at $2,499 ($2,299 for education) and brings an 18-core CPU, up to a 40-core GPU, and up to 128GB of unified memory. Apple claims up to 4.3x faster AI performance and 1.8x faster graphics than the prior generation; those are manufacturer figures, not independently verified results.
The M5 Ultra configuration starts at $5,499 ($5,099 for education) and reaches 36 CPU cores, 80 GPU cores, up to 512GB of unified memory, 1.2TB/s memory bandwidth, and Thunderbolt 5 transfers at up to 120Gb/s. Note that 512GB configurations are not shipping until late October.
Apple also supports clustering multiple Mac Studio units via Remote Direct Memory Access. The company claims that arrangement can deliver up to 3x faster distributed AI inference compared to a single system, though that figure is an Apple claim and has not been independently confirmed.
Mac Studio supports up to eight displays, including four Studio Display XDR screens at full 5K resolution and 120Hz.
Pricing, Buying, and What to Watch
Both machines are available today, September 22, 2026 through Apple Store locations, Apple’s online store, the Apple Store app, and Apple Authorized Resellers. Eligible U.S. customers can apply trade-in credit or Apple Card Monthly Installments toward a purchase. The Apple Upgrade Program lists Mac Studio monthly payments starting at $48.99 for the M5 Max and $110.10 for the M5 Ultra on 36-month terms, before taxes and trade-in credits.
Independent benchmark coverage of these machines remains limited at launch, and Apple’s specific “up to” performance comparisons are manufacturer claims that have not been reproduced under independent testing conditions. If performance numbers are central to your buying decision, tracking third-party reviews before committing is worth the wait.
