Apple’s New Mac Mini Has a Major Flaw
That RAM ain’t great
This week, Apple updated its Mac Mini line, featuring the company’s new in-house silicon. It even knocked $100 off the previous Mac Mini’s price, making it the cheapest way to try out the new M1 processor. At least, in the short run.
However, Apple has also removed the ability to upgrade the RAM in the Mac Mini, capping it at 16GB. That decision could severely hamper the lifespan of the Mac Mini, necessitating that users upgrade to a new device sooner than they might have with the option to add more RAM.
Upgrading hardware on any computer is an excellent way to make it last longer, save money, and reduce electronic waste. Swapping in a new CPU to make it faster, or adding extra storage, costs less money and keeps older computers out of landfills, but those kinds of upgrades are difficult on most recent Macs.
One of the few exceptions has been upgrading the RAM on certain recent versions of the Mac Mini, a lifeline for keeping those older devices in circulation.
The Mac Mini has a complicated relationship with repairability. For the version of the device released in 2014, Apple made the decision to solder the memory module directly to the logic board, making it impossible to upgrade after purchase. The maximum amount of memory customers could…
