Apple’s “most affordable Mac” just got more expensive.
This week, the starting price of the Mac Mini increased by $200 as the company reported increased demand for its AI-powered small computers.
The $599 base model with 256GB of storage was advertised on its website as “the smallest, most affordable Mac with powerful performance,” but as of Friday it had disappeared from Apple’s site.
According to the website, the Mac Mini has a starting price of $799 and comes with 512 GB of storage. According to the Internet Archive, the website listed the starting price as $599 earlier this week.
It’s not a price increase for the model with 512GB of storage, but it does mean the entry point for the Mac Mini is higher.
Apple did not respond to a request for comment, but said during its quarterly earnings call this week that it hasn’t been able to keep up with the AI buzz surrounding the Mac Mini.
The line gained popularity earlier this year when tech enthusiasts sought it out for use in OpenClaw, an open-source autonomous AI agent formerly known as Clawdbot.
CEO Tim Cook said the device’s capabilities are due to it becoming a “fantastic” platform for “AI and agent tools.”
“Customer awareness is moving faster than we anticipated,” Cook said on a conference call. “And we’ve seen more demand than we expected.”
Cook said it could take “several months” for Mac Mini demand and supply to match.