Worldwide PC shipments fell 20.1% year over year in the third quarter (Q3) 2026 to 62.7 million units, according to preliminary results from IDC Research (IDC). And it was kinda-bad news for the Mac.
The third quarter saw the second consecutive decline and a deeper one than the 3.8% drop in the second quarter (Q2). Shipments also slipped 9.1% sequentially, upending the usual pattern in which Q3 outpaces Q2. Continued supply constraints and the inventory pull-in earlier in the year, as vendors and channels rushed to stock up ahead of memory-driven price hikes, left the quarter with little demand to draw on.
During the quarter the channel worked to move through the large volume of PCs shipped in during the previous quarter. As a result, we didn’t see the typical third-quarter seasonal lift in shipment volumes, according to IDC. Jitesh Ubrani, research director for consumer devices at IDC, said the primary drivers of the decline: Strategic inventory pull-in across the entire industry as a result of on-going supply constraints and higher price points driven by AI data center build out. Other key constraints were supply issues, elevated prices, and worsening macro conditions.
Apple sold 5.9 million Macs during the third quarter for 9.5% global PC market share. That compares to sales of 6.7 million Macs and 8.5% market share in the third quarter of 2025. In other words Apple sold fewer Macs, but actually gained in market share.
How? The global PC market leader Lenovo now has 23.85 market share, but saw sales fall 22.6% year-over-year. Second place HP has 16.5% market share, but saw sales fall 30.9%. And third place Dell has 12.1% market share, but saw sales fall 25%. Apple remains in fourth place among worldwide PC makers.
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Article provided with permission from AppleWorld.Today
