The global PC market is slowing down, but Apple seems to be playing by different rules.
According to the latest IDC Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker, global PC shipments reached 68.2 million units in the second quarter of 2026. That’s down from 71.7 million units in the same quarter last year, marking a 4.9% year-over-year decline.
While almost every major PC maker reported lower shipments, Apple was the only company to post strong growth.
Apple shipped 6.7 million Macs during the quarter, up from 6.1 million a year ago. That gave the company a 10.1% year-over-year growth and increased its market share from 8.5% to 9.9%.
Lenovo remained the world’s largest PC maker with 16.6 million shipments and a 24.4% market share. Although its shipments fell by 2.1% compared to last year, the company’s market share actually increased from 23.7% because the overall PC market declined even faster.
HP stayed in second place with 13 million shipments, down from 14.3 million in Q2 2025. Its market share slipped from 19.9% to 19.1%, while shipments dropped 9% year over year.
Dell also had a weak quarter. The company shipped 9.3 million PCs, down from 9.8 million last year. Its market share remained unchanged at 13.6%, but shipments declined 5%.
ASUS was the only other top-five brand that managed to avoid a decline. It shipped 5 million PCs, almost identical to last year, resulting in a modest 0.2% growth. That was enough to increase its market share from 7% to 7.4%.
Apple’s growth can be attributed to many factors. One possible reason is pricing. Most Windows PC makers have already increased prices due to rising DRAM and SSD costs. Apple, on the other hand, reportedly introduced its own price hike only at the end of June, which was the final days of Q2. That means most Macs sold during the quarter were still available at older prices.
Another likely reason is the strong demand for the MacBook Neo, which appears to have performed well since its launch. If buyers found it to offer better value than increasingly expensive Windows laptops, that could explain why Apple gained customers while rivals lost them.
Of course, we’ll only know if this momentum is sustainable after the Q3 numbers arrive. Apple’s own price increases are now in effect, so the next quarter will reveal whether demand remains strong or starts slowing like the rest of the market.
The biggest challenge for the PC industry right now is rising component costs.
Memory and storage prices have increased significantly over the past few months, making laptops and desktops more expensive. As a result, many consumers and businesses are delaying upgrades, especially those that already refreshed their systems over the past couple of years.
IDC believes this trend is far from over. The research firm expects a sharp slowdown in PC market growth during the second half of 2026. It also says vendors are preparing for further component price increases that could continue into 2027.
If that happens, PC prices could rise even more, making it harder for manufacturers to grow shipments.
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