Apple Mac mini has become more expensive: the company removed the budget version with 256 GB

Apple has officially revised its line of compact computers, making the purchase of a Mac mini more budget-friendly. The cheapest configuration with a storage capacity of 256 GB has completely disappeared from the configurator on the company’s website. This change is not a temporary shortage or a delay in delivery — Apple deliberately raised the starting price of the device to UAH 32,759 ($799).

Why did the budget Mac mini disappear?

According to Macworld, the disappearance of the 256 GB version happened without loud announcements. Now, when buying a new Mac mini, users automatically switch to a model with 512 GB of built-in memory. This decision simplified the choice for Apple, but increased the costs of consumers who previously focused on the budget segment. Interestingly, the company has kept the minimum 256GB storage in other devices such as the iMac and MacBook Neo.

Technical specifications

The main technical parameters of the computer remained unchanged, except for the basic capacity of the SSD. Now the “standard” configuration includes a 512 GB storage device. Other upgrade options and prices for additional options remain unchanged. Apple continues to offer high performance in a small body, but now you will have to pay more for this pleasure.

As a result of changes in the catalog, the base price of the Mac mini has increased from UAH 24,559 ($599) to UAH 32,759 ($799). This means users no longer have an economical entry point into Apple’s desktop ecosystem. The price of other changes when switching to a larger amount of memory remained proportional to the old price grid.

Features and reasons for Apple’s decision

During the financial report, Tim Cook mentioned that the company is forced to respond to changes in the cost of components, in particular memory. Apple has traditionally built a high margin into the cost of RAM and storage upgrades. By withdrawing the younger version, the manufacturer actually compensates for the increase in market prices for components at the expense of buyers.