Apple Discontinues $599 M4 Mac mini

Apple has discontinued its entry-level M4 Mac mini configuration worldwide, removing the $599 model with 256GB of storage from its online store and effectively raising the starting price to $799 for the version with 512GB of storage.

The change, which took effect this week without an official announcement, leaves the 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD model as the new base option. Previously, customers could configure a Mac mini with the M4 chip, 16GB of unified memory and 256GB of storage for $599. That option had been out of stock for over a week with extended shipping delays before disappearing entirely from Apple's configurator, including education and military stores. The 512GB model retains its prior $799 price but now serves as the entry point, doubling storage capacity for buyers seeking the lowest-cost new unit.

Availability remains constrained across the lineup. Orders for the new base model face delivery estimates into mid-June, while higher-end configurations, such as those with 32GB of memory, show delays of 10 to 12 weeks or are listed as unavailable. Similar backlogs affect third-party retailers like Amazon.

The shift coincides with Apple's fiscal second-quarter earnings call on...