Mac Shipments Grow 10% While PC Market Shrinks, Despite Price Hikes

Apple grew Mac shipments by more than 10 percent in a quarter when the global PC market shrank, and the detail buried in the IDC report is what makes that number interesting: Apple raised prices and still gained share.

IDC data shows global PC shipments fell 4.9 percent year over year in Q2 2026, dropping to 68.2 million units from 71.7 million the prior year. Every major vendor except Apple and ASUS posted declines. Apple’s 10.1 percent shipment growth pushed its market share to 9.9 percent, while ASUS managed a 0.2 percent gain. The gap between those two results is wide enough to be its own story.

How Apple Separated Itself From a Falling Market

Lenovo held the top spot with 24.4 percent share despite a 2.1 percent shipment decline. HP fell 9 percent, Dell fell 5 percent, and the top-five ranking stayed intact mostly because everyone dropped together. Apple’s growth happened against that backdrop, not in spite of a favorable environment.

IDC tied Apple’s share gain directly to the MacBook Neo launch. The report acknowledged that Apple raised prices in line with broader market pressure, which is a polite way of saying Apple charged more and buyers accepted it anyway. That is a different outcome than what HP and Dell experienced when their prices rose.

The memory supply crunch IDC cited as a driver of the broader decline is the same cost pressure affecting Apple. What the data suggests is that Mac buyers are less price-sensitive to component-driven increases than buyers in the Windows PC market, or at least less likely to delay a purchase when Apple raises prices.

The Memory Shortage Is Not a Short-Term Problem

IDC’s forecast extends the memory shortage through early 2028, which means the conditions that produced this quarter’s results are not going away. Vendors are currently in a position where revenue is rising even as unit shipments fall, because price increases are outpacing demand erosion. That math works until it doesn’t.

The concern for the second half of 2026 is that buyers who were willing to absorb one price increase may delay the next purchase if prices keep climbing. IDC flagged continued interest in on-device AI features as a potential demand driver, but interest in a feature and willingness to pay a higher price for it are separate questions. Apple has benefited from the current environment, but the same shortage that hurt its rivals is still a constraint on Apple’s supply chain.

What This Means If You Are Buying a Mac Now

If you are considering a Mac purchase, the IDC forecast gives no indication that prices will stabilize before 2028. The Q1 2026 shipment growth that preceded this quarter was partly driven by buyers pulling purchases forward ahead of anticipated increases, which suggests the market already priced in some of this expectation.

Apple’s refurbished store is worth a look before buying new. Refurbished units go through functionality testing, cleaning, inspection, and come with a one-year limited warranty and eligibility for AppleCare+ coverage, which makes them a practical alternative if the current new pricing feels steep. The broader point is that the cost pressure IDC describes is structural, not a short correction, and buying decisions made now are being made in that context.