A new Counterpoint Research report on global PC shipments for Q3 2026 shows Apple outperforming the broader market, with the MacBook Neo helping cushion the impact of declining demand. Here are the details.

Mac shipments drop 11%, but Apple’s shipment share grows

In a new report released today, Counterpoint Research says global PC shipments plunged 21% during Q3 2026, compared with the year-ago period.

In absolute numbers, Counterpoint says global shipments totaled 57 million units, with Lenovo leading the market with a 26.3% share, despite a 23% year-over-year decline.

HP held second place with an 18.1% share and a 31% decline in shipments, followed by Dell (13.3% share, down 25%), Apple (9.8% share, down 11%), and ASUS, which rounded out the top five with a 9.2% share and a 7% decline. Other vendors accounted for the remaining 23.3% of the market, with shipments down 16% year over year.

Here’s Counterpoint on Apple’s performance for the quarter:

“Apple’s shipments declined 11% YoY to 5.6 million units, giving it a 9.8% market share, up from 8.7% a year earlier. The MacBook Neo helped cushion the decline, allowing Apple to outperform the overall market.”

Commenting on the results, Counterpoint Research senior analyst Minsoo Kang noted that Apple and ASUS outperformed the broader market “through differentiated product portfolios and competitive positioning.”

As most 9to5Mac readers are probably guessing by now, rising memory and other component costs were major contributors to the market-wide downturn. Counterpoint says higher PC prices discouraged consumers from upgrading their devices and weakened demand across the industry.

According to Counterpoint’s data, contract prices for 8GB DDR4 RAM modules rose 24% quarter over quarter in Q3 2026, while 1TB NVMe SSD prices increased 29%.

Looking ahead, Counterpoint expects RAM prices to rise another 13% in Q4 and 15% in Q1 2027, while SSD prices are projected to increase 11% in Q4 before stabilizing in early 2027.

To read Counterpoint’s full report, follow this link.

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