Updated

Updated · 9to5Mac · Aug 26

Apple Upgrades Backordered M4 Mac mini Orders to M6 and M5 Pro for Free, Saving Up to $300

Updated

Updated · 9to5Mac · Aug 26

Apple Upgrades Backordered M4 Mac mini Orders to M6 and M5 Pro for Free, Saving Up to $300

Q: Why are some students furious about receiving a free, more expensive Mac mini upgrade from Apple?

Some students are angry because the “free” upgrade can delay delivery of a computer they need immediately for school. Apple is automatically switching some unshipped Mac mini orders from the older M4 model to the newer, pricier M6 version at no extra charge, but some buyers say that change pushed their shipment back by weeks. For students on a deadline, the issue is timing, not value. A newer Mac mini that is $100 more expensive on paper is not helpful if it arrives after classes start or after assignments are due. One customer said the delay was especially frustrating because they needed the machine for school. The other source of frustration is that Apple reportedly did not give affected buyers a choice to refuse the upgrade and keep their original order. So even though the M6 model offers better performance and effectively gives them a $100 discount, some customers feel Apple made a decision for them that disrupted their plans. That helps explain the split reaction. Buyers whose delivery moved earlier welcomed the upgrade. Those whose shipping slipped saw it as an unwanted change, despite the higher-spec machine. In short, the anger is about loss of control and delayed delivery, not about getting a better computer.

3 articles · Updated · 9to5Mac · Aug 26

Apple has begun contacting some customers with unshipped Mac mini M4 orders and moving them at no extra cost to newly launched M6 or M5 Pro models.
Backorders appear to be driving the switch: several M4 configurations had been delayed, and the company seems able to supply M6 and M5 Pro versions more easily.
Reddit and MacRumors reports show both base M4 and M4 Pro orders being upgraded, with one M4 Pro buyer effectively avoiding a $300 price increase on the equivalent M5 Pro machine.
The move softens the sting for buyers who ordered shortly before Apple unveiled the refreshed Mac mini lineup with M6 and M5 Pro chips.