Mac Shipments Fall, But Apple Still Gains Ground in Shrinking Market

Apple's Mac shipments declined 11.3% in the third quarter of 2026, but the company increased its market share as worldwide PC shipments fell more sharply, according to IDC's latest preliminary estimates.

Apple shipped an estimated 5.9 million Macs between July and September, compared with 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. Apple retained fourth place in IDC's vendor rankings.

Across all brands, shipments dropped to 62.7 million units from 78.5 million a year earlier, a decline of 20.1%. The downturn followed a 3.8% annual decrease in the second quarter. Third-quarter shipments were also 9.1% below the second-quarter total, despite this usually being a busier 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 an 8.6% decrease, making it the only top-five vendor with a smaller percentage decline than Apple.

IDC says the timing of earlier orders contributed to the weak quarter. Manufacturers and distribution partners secured stock sooner than usual to limit their exposure to rising memory costs, reducing the volume left for later in the year. With sellers still holding that inventory, there was apparently less need to order additional devices during the third quarter.

The research firm also cited component shortages and higher prices, linking the pressure on supply and costs to the expansion of AI data centers. Apple raised prices in June, with former CEO Tim Cook citing sharply rising memory expenses during the company's July earnings call.

IDC added that sellers could offer discounts to reduce unsold stock, but it does not expect prices to return to where they were a year ago. The firm also warned that a weakening economy could further depress demand through the end of 2026 and into 2027.