Apple's cheapest Mac mini is gone — and the price just jumped $200

Apple has quietly pulled the entry-level Mac mini from sale worldwide. The M4 model with 16GB RAM and 256GB storage — previously priced at $599 in the US and £599 in the UK — is gone from Apple's store entirely, pushing the starting price to $799 (£799) for the 16GB/512GB configuration. That's a $200 jump overnight, with no advance notice from Apple.

What happened

The move follows weeks of supply problems. Apple had already restricted orders on 32GB and 64GB RAM variants before removing the base model altogether, per MacRumors. Those higher-memory configurations are still technically available but show 10–12 week delivery estimates in the UK — meaning mid-June at the earliest. CEO Tim Cook addressed the situation on Apple's Q2 2026 earnings call, saying the memory shortage "will last several months" and that demand had exceeded expectations. He pointed specifically to AI and agentic workloads as the driver.

The underlying cause is a global DRAM crunch. AI data center expansion by OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft has absorbed a disproportionate share of memory chip production, leaving less supply for consumer hardware. Server DRAM demand rose roughly 90–95% quarter-on-quarter, according to TechRadar, with AI now consuming around 20% of global DRAM capacity.

What this means for buyers

The Mac mini had carved out a niche as an affordable desktop for running local AI models — tools like OpenClaw and various agent frameworks run well on Apple Silicon without a cloud subscription. That entry point just got harder to reach.

At $799/£799, the Mac mini is now competing more directly with the MacBook Air M5, which starts at $1,099/£1,099 but adds a screen and portability. The more interesting comparison is the MacBook Neo at $599/£599 — currently cheaper than the Mac mini's new floor price and worth a look for anyone who doesn't need a desktop form factor.

Apple hasn't confirmed when — or whether — 256GB storage will return to the lineup. An M5 Mac mini refresh has been rumored for later in 2026, but persistent supply constraints make the timeline uncertain. For now, if you need a Mac mini and can't wait, $799 is the new minimum.