Apple’s Mac Shipments Buck Trend, Outperforming PC Market Decline in Q2 2026

Recent data provided by technology intelligence firm IDC reveals that Apple experienced substantial growth during the second quarter of 2026, standing out as the sole major computer manufacturer to achieve this feat. Mac shipments surged by over 10%, contrasting with a general decline in the broader PC market for the first time in two years.

Positive Trend for Mac Shipments, Negative for PC Shipments

The report from IDC, released on Wednesday, depicts a 4.9% year-over-year decrease in global PC shipments in Q2 2026, with total units shipped dropping to 68.2 million from 71.7 million in the same quarter of 2025.

Despite the overall decline, the top-five computer vendors ranking remained unchanged compared to Q2 2025, with only Apple and ASUS witnessing year-over-year growth in shipments.

Lenovo maintained its dominance in the first position, holding a 24.4% market share despite a 2.1% decrease in PC shipments. HP secured the second spot with a 19.1% share and a 9% decline in shipments, while Dell retained third place with a 13.6% share and a 5% drop in shipments.

Rounding up the top five were Apple, with an impressive 10.1% increase in Mac shipments year over year, capturing a 9.9% share of total shipments, and ASUS with a 7.4% share, albeit with a marginal 0.2% growth.

The report highlights Apple’s gain in market share coinciding with the launch of its latest product, the MacBook Neo. Despite aligning prices with the market trend, Apple remains competitive against rivals facing similar cost challenges.

IDC attributed the decline in shipments to the ongoing memory supply shortage and subsequent price hikes, with “geopolitical issues” also playing a contributing role.

Jitesh Ubrani, IDC’s research director for consumer devices, pointed out the discrepancy between declining shipments and rising revenue, driven by vendors implementing price increases faster than the decrease in demand.

Looking ahead, IDC warned of potential factors impacting PC upgrade cycles, including sustained price pressure due to growing interest in on-device AI processing and the likelihood of major PC manufacturers gaining a larger market share as smaller competitors struggle with the memory shortage.

The report emphasized that larger PC manufacturers like Apple, Dell, and Lenovo, leveraging their operational scale and diverse business lines, are better positioned to secure memory supply and outperform smaller players.

The second quarter of 2026 marked the first year-over-year decline in PC shipments since 2024, raising concerns about future trends and market conditions.

As challenges persist, effective supply chain management and capabilities become increasingly vital. Larger vendors with established supplier relationships and purchasing power are poised to gain market share from smaller counterparts, according to Jean Philippe Bouchard, IDC’s vice president for consumer devices.