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Apple has made a change that may seem minor at first glance, but in practice, it means a price increase for customers. The company has removed the cheapest version of the Mac mini priced at $599, leaving the $799 model as the lowest option. Officially, prices haven't changed, but the actual cost of entering the Apple ecosystem has just gone up.
Quiet Price Increase Instead of an Official Decision
Instead of raising the price of the base model, Apple decided to completely discontinue it. As a result, the cheapest available Mac mini now offers more memory and a larger disk, but it also costs $200 more than before. This is a clever strategy as the company avoids the negative perception of a "price increase," while also improving its margins. The reason is quite obvious: rising costs of RAM and NAND make producing cheaper configurations less profitable. Therefore, Apple prefers to simplify its offerings and focus on more profitable variants.
Popular Computer, Bigger Problem
The Mac mini has been one of the most cost-effective Apple computers for years, especially for those who already have a monitor and accessories. Thanks to the efficient M-series chips, it has also become an interesting option for creators and users working with AI. However, the entry threshold is now rising, which may discourage some new customers. Moreover, memory availability issues could worsen in the coming years, which means that hardware prices could rise even further. The disappearance of the $599 version may therefore be the first sign of bigger changes in Apple's offerings.
Apple has not officially raised the price of the Mac mini, but in practice, it has done exactly that. The removal of the cheapest model makes entering the world of Mac more expensive, and this may just be the beginning of bigger changes.
source: digitaltrends
