Apple has a surprise for M4 Mac mini buyers still waiting for delivery

Apple is automatically upgrading some pending Mac mini orders from the outgoing M4 chip to the new M6 processor, and it isn’t charging customers anything extra for the swap. The upgrade reportedly applies to orders that hadn’t shipped when Apple announced the new Mac mini this week.

What the upgrade email says

According to MacRumors, Apple recently notified users of the upgrade offer via email that states: “Thank you for your recent Mac order. We know you’re looking forward to receiving your purchase. As you may know, Apple recently announced the new Mac mini. Since your order has yet to ship, we automatically upgraded you to the new Mac mini at no additional cost.”

The M4 Mac mini launched in 2024 at $599 for the base 256GB configuration. That configuration was discontinued in May, leaving the $799 512GB model as the cheapest M4 Mac mini available until the new M6 model was revealed. The equivalent M6 configuration now starts at $899, which means the free upgrade effectively translates to a $100 discount for those still awaiting delivery. However, this move hasn’t gone down well with all buyers.

Faster shipping for some, delays for others

According to one buyer on X, Apple moved their estimated delivery up from October to September with the free chip swap, which is a clear win. But a student who wrote to MacRumors said their shipping estimate has been delayed by several weeks, and Apple has offered no way to decline the upgrade and receive the M4 Mac mini on the original delivery date.

The upgrade email arrives right after Apple’s Mac mini and Mac Studio launch this week. The mini now comes with M6 or M5 Pro chip options, while the Studio moved to M5 Max and M5 Ultra. Both machines are open for preorder now and are set to ship September 22.

Apple hasn’t publicly revealed how many order this affects, or whether the same automatic swap applies to M4 Pro configurations or orders placed outside the US.