[DigitalToday reporter Choi Jae-won (최재원)] Apple has eliminated the previous model’s detachable storage design in the new M6 and M5 Pro Mac mini, making third-party SSD upgrades effectively impossible.

According to IT outlet 9to5Mac on Monday local time, the new Mac mini looks similar to the previous generation, but its NAND storage is soldered directly to the logic board. That means buyers can no longer replace the internal storage with a larger-capacity third-party module after purchase.

The M4 Mac mini released in 2024 was different. Its storage was designed as a detachable NAND module in a proprietary format, and compatible products later emerged, allowing users to take the product apart and increase capacity. Several third-party companies sold 2TB modules in the $300 range, about 402,000 won. At the time, Apple’s 2TB build-to-order upgrade cost $800, about 1,072,000 won, meaning consumers could save up to $500, about 670,000 won.

The inability to upgrade the SSD comes alongside a price increase. The base M4 Mac mini cost $599, with a South Korea price of 890,000 won, but the M6 model starts at $899, with a South Korea price of 1,499,000 won. The M6 model’s 2TB storage option costs $1,000, with a South Korea price of 1.7 million won, bringing a 2TB configuration to about $1,899, with a South Korea price of 3.19 million won. By contrast, using a third-party 2TB module in the $300 range with the base M4 model at the time could deliver similar storage capacity for about $919, about 1,231,460 won.

Using external storage remains an option. The new Mac mini supports high-speed USB-C and Thunderbolt connections on both the M6 and M5 Pro models, allowing users to use an external SSD. Apple did not separately disclose why it reverted NAND to a soldered design.

The new Mac mini’s performance has increased significantly, but it has become difficult to avoid assessments that it has regressed from the M4 generation in terms of storage repair and expandability.