Apple shipped 6.2 million Macs during the first quarter of 2026, up from 5.7 million in the year-earlier period, according to new estimates from research firm IDC. The 9.1% year-over-year increase comfortably outpaced the broader PC market, which grew just 2.5% over the same period as component shortages and uncertain economic conditions weighed on the industry.
Apple's performance lifted its global PC market share to 9.5%, up from 8.9% a year ago โ a meaningful gain for a company that has historically operated at the premium end of a market dominated by volume players. Apple ranked fourth among the world's largest PC vendors, behind Lenovo (16.5 million units), HP (12.1 million units), and Dell (10.3 million units). ASUS, in fifth place, posted the strongest growth rate of any major vendor at 17.1%.
The main engine behind Apple's acceleration was the M5 MacBook Pro, which arrived in late 2025 and drove a significant wave of upgrades among professional users. The newer M5 MacBook Air models, released more recently, arrived too late in the quarter to materially influence Q1 figures โ meaning their contribution is likely to show up in the AprilโJune period instead.
Supply constraints are also part of the story. Demand for certain Mac configurations has outstripped availability: Mac Studio units with the highest RAM options were reporting delivery estimates of four to five months at the time of purchase, a sign that Apple's production capacity has not yet caught up with professional appetite for its most powerful desktop machines.
The IDC data offers a preview of what Apple's own financial results may show when the company reports its second-quarter earnings on April 30. Apple had guided for total revenue growth of 13 to 16 percent year over year in the quarter, with expected revenue of $107.8 billion to $110.7 billion. Mac is typically a modest but steady contributor to those numbers โ and the Q1 data suggests the category remains in solid health.