Apple had a strong start to 2026. According to new data from IDC, Mac shipments grew 9% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2026. That is a big deal, especially when the overall PC market only grew by 2.5% during the same period.
Here is a closer look at what the numbers say — and what is behind Apple’s momentum.
The Numbers
Apple shipped 6.2 million Macs in Q1 2026, up from 5.7 million in Q1 2025. That gives Apple a 9.5% share of the global PC market, up from 8.9% a year ago.
For context, here is how Apple stacks up against the competition:
- Lenovo — 16.5 million units shipped (No. 1)
- HP — 12.1 million units shipped (No. 2)
- Dell — 10.3 million units shipped (No. 3)
- Apple — 6.2 million units shipped (No. 4)
HP was the only major vendor to see a decline during the quarter. Every other company on the list posted growth.
What Is Driving Mac Growth?
The main driver behind Apple’s strong quarter is the M5 MacBook Pro, which launched in late 2025. IDC credits the chip upgrade as the primary reason Apple’s growth outpaced the broader market.
Apple also refreshed the MacBook Air and higher-end MacBook Pro models this year. However, since those updates were recent, they did not contribute much to Q1 numbers. Their impact is more likely to show up in Q2 2026.
It is also worth noting that the Mac lineup still does not include an M5 desktop. The Mac mini, Mac Studio, and iMac are all still running M4 chips — which means there is likely more growth on the horizon once those refreshes arrive.
Why This Matters
PC shipments have struggled to recover from their post-pandemic drop. A 2.5% market-wide gain is modest at best. Apple growing at nearly four times that rate shows that demand for Macs is genuinely strong, not just recovering.
The Liquid Glass design refresh in macOS 26 has also been well received, which may be encouraging more users to stick within the Apple ecosystem or switch from Windows.
If you have been wondering what the state of Apple’s software looks like right now, our WWDC 2026 preview covers everything expected at this year’s developer conference, including major updates to macOS.
Apple is also expected to drop M5-powered desktop Macs soon. Once those land, Q2 2026 could look even better for Apple on the PC front.
Leave a Reply