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Apple explains why the new M4 Mac mini’s power button is at bottom

In an interview to a Chinese content creator, Apple VP said that the power button was moved to the bottom of the new Mac mini because of size constraints.

The new Mac mini is powered by the M4 chipset. (Image Source: Apple)

Last month, Apple unveiled the new Mac mini – its smallest and cheapest M4-powered machine. While the new mini PC is one of the most powerful mini PCs available in the market, it also brings some design changes to the Mac mini lineup in years.

Not only is the new Mac mini faster and smaller than its predecessor, but Apple has also repositioned the power button from the back to the bottom of the pocket-sized powerhouse. While this may not be a big issue for many, users were bummed to know that they would have to pick up their new Mac mini to turn it off or on. To fix this, some DIY users even shared some intuitive solutions like a 3D-printed single hinge design that also acts as a power switch flipper.

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However, in a recent interview with a Chinese content creator on Billibilli, Apple VP Greg Jozwiak and John Ternus said that the main reason why they had to move the power switch to the bottom of the machine is because of its smaller size. Compared to its predecessor, the new Mac mini is almost half the size, and the bottom was “kind of the optimal stop” for the power button. They also went on to say that most Mac mini users did not often turn off their machine and instead put it in sleep mode.

Since the top variant of the new Mac mini weighs a mere 720 grams, this won’t be much of an issue, but things may get really difficult if you mount it on the back of a TV or a display, in which case, the power button will be hard to use.