Yes, the M4 Mac mini's power button is on the bottom

Key Takeaways

Apple placed the M4 Mac mini’s power button on its base.
The new Mac mini features the M4 or the M4 Pro chip and starts at $600.
The on/off button placement isn’t really that big of a deal given most users rarely turn their Mac off.

When I first saw the image, I didn’t believe it.

For unclear reasons, Apple has placed the new M4 Mac mini’s power button on the bottom. Why did Apple make this decision? We’ll probably never know. It likely has something to do with the tiny 5 x 5-inch desktop’s miniature design.

At least it’s still a physical button. It’s the little wins that count, right?

This isn’t the first time Apple has been criticized for odd button and port placement, with the new USB-C Magic Mousebeing the most recent notable example. Despite refreshing the previously Lightning-only accessory with a more modern USB-C port, it’s still on the bottom of the Magic Mouse, making it impossible to use it while charging.

Apple Mac mini (M4, 2024)

Apple’s new Mac mini has been upgraded to the M4 and M4 Pro chipset. It also features a new, smaller design.

The new Mac mini features an M4 or M4 Pro chip, with the base version offering a 10-core CPU/10-core GPU. The entry-level model starts at $600, while the higher-end M4 Pro Mac mini starts at $1,400. The release date is set for November 8th.

To be fair, most people probably don’t use a physical button to turn their Mac mini on/off very often

Other specs include 256GB of storage that can be configured up to 8TB, as long as you’re willing to pay a premium, and 16GB of RAM on the base end that can be kicked up to 64GB. The front of the M4 Mac mini features two USB-C ports and a 3.5mm audio jack, while the back offers Ethernet, HDMI, and three USB-C/Thunderbolt ports. The speed of the Thunderbolt ports depends on what M4 chipset you’ve selected.

Apple’s adorable M4 Mac mini is an absolute beast under the hood

Apple has announced its new Mac mini with the M4 chipset and new smaller design.

Pint-sized power in a cute package

You probably won’t use the button often, but still…

Apple

To be fair, most people probably don’t use a physical button to turn their Mac mini on/off very often. Adding to this, Macs also don’t really need to be turned off, with most people shifting them to sleep mode rather than shutting them down consistently.

Still, any way you look at it, a button on the bottom of a device that most people will place on a desk and never move is an odd design decision for an otherwise stunning-looking product.