Apple's Mac shipments fell 11.3% in the third quarter of 2026, but the company managed to increase its market share as global PC shipments fell more sharply, according to the latest preliminary estimates from IDC. Apple shipped an estimated 5.9 million Macs between July and September, compared to 6.7 million a year earlier. That put Apple's market share at 9.5%, up from 8.5% in the third quarter of 2025.
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Apple retained its fourth-place position in IDC’s vendor rankings. The decline in Mac shipments may seem worrisome, but the increase in market share suggests that Apple has managed to maintain its position in a market that is shrinking overall. Overall, PC shipments across all brands fell to 62.7 million units from 78.5 million a year earlier, a 20.1%. This decline followed a 3.8% year-over-year decline in the second quarter.
Third-quarter shipments were also 9.1% below the second-quarter total, despite this typically being a more active period for the industry.
Lenovo led the market with 14.9 million shipments, followed by HP with 10.3 million and Dell with 7.6 million. Their respective declines were 22.6%, 30.9% and 25%. ASUS, in fifth place with 5.5 million shipments, recorded a decline of 8.6%, making it the only vendor among the top five with a smaller percentage decline than Apple.
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IDC says the timing of previous orders contributed to the weak period. Manufacturers and distribution partners secured inventory earlier than usual to limit their exposure to rising memory costs, reducing the volume left over for later in the year. With vendors still holding onto that inventory, there was apparently less need to order additional devices in the third quarter.
The research firm also cited component shortages and higher prices, linking supply and cost pressures to the expansion of AI data centers. Apple raised prices in June, with former CEO Tim Cook citing sharp increases in memory costs during the company’s July earnings call. This price hike was not just a strategy to address rising costs, but also an effort to maintain profitability at a time when demand for computers is declining.
IDC added that vendors could offer discounts to reduce unsold inventory, but it doesn't expect prices to return to where they were a year ago. The firm also warned that a weakening economy could further reduce demand through the end of 2026 and into 2027. That means consumers and businesses may become more cautious about spending on new technology purchases, further impacting shipments of Macs and other computers.
Apple's Mac shipments decline could be seen as a reflection of broader trends in the PC market, but the company's ability to increase its market share shows that consumers still see value in its products. Apple has invested heavily in developing its own processors, such as the M1 and M2, which have delivered improvements in performance and energy efficiency, making Macs more attractive to users looking for powerful and reliable devices.
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Additionally, Apple's strategy of tightly integrating its software and hardware, offering a holistic user experience, may be one of the reasons the company has been able to maintain its position in a difficult market. As technology continues to evolve, Apple will likely continue to innovate to maintain its competitive edge, despite the challenges facing the industry.
