CUPERTINO, California: Apple unveiled more powerful versions of its Mac mini and Mac Studio on Tuesday, upgrading the desktop computers as consumers and professionals increasingly use the devices to run artificial intelligence applications.

The new Mac mini, available with Apple's new M6 chip or the M5 Pro, starts at $899, $100 more than its predecessor.

The Mac mini and Mac Studio have become popular among consumers looking to run autonomous AI agents such as OpenClaw locally, with strong demand depleting inventories at several Apple stores.

"Whether it's being used as a home computer, powering a professional studio, or as an always-on agentic device, it's the little Mac that can do it all," Apple's hardware boss Johny Srouji said.

One version of the new Mac mini uses Apple's 2-nanometer M6 chip, which the company said delivers up to four times faster AI performance and twice the graphics and storage speeds of the previous M4-powered model.

The higher-end Mac mini, powered by the M5 Pro, offers up to an 18-core central processor and 20-core graphics processor. It is aimed at professional users working on tasks including visual effects.

Apple also refreshed its Mac Studio desktop lineup with versions powered by its M5 Max and new M5 Ultra chips.

The machines, aimed at developers and other professional users, can run large models on-device and combine the computing power of multiple systems for more intensive AI tasks.

The M5 Max Mac Studio starts at $2,499, while the M5 Ultra version starts at $5,499. The previous generation started at $1,999.

The higher prices come as Apple faces mounting cost pressures from rising memory chip prices amid strong demand from AI data centers. The company raised prices on some Mac and iPad models in June because of higher memory costs.

Tuesday's unveiling is also likely to be Apple's final major product launch before CEO Tim Cook hands over the reins to hardware veteran John Ternus in one of the company's most closely watched leadership transitions.