Mac Shipments Surge by 21% despite Longer Upgrade Cycles
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Apple saw an impressive 21% increase in Mac shipments in the second quarter of 2024, according to a report by industry research firm IDC. The research firm says the increase shows the largest growth among global PC manufacturers during the second quarter, thanks to an industry-wide recovery of PC shipments.
IDC says shipments of desktops and laptops worldwide increased 3% year-over-year for the June 2024 quarter. Apple (a 21% increase) and Acer (a 14% increase) scored the largest shipment growth among major manufacturers. The June quarter was the second consecutive quarter of growth for the PC industry. The industry had been in decline in previous years, as it experienced a period of decline following the pandemic-driven surge in computer purchases during 2020 and 2021.
Ryan Reith, group vice president at IDC, credits two consecutive quarters of shipment growth, the excitement surrounding AI-capable PCs, and the refreshment cycle in the commercial PC industry with providing a much-needed boost to PC shipments.
While AI-focused PCs are expected to drive a new wave of computer upgrades, only about 3% of PCs shipped this year were AI-optimized. Apple’s Mac lineup is expected to benefit from the integration of Apple Intelligence, which will be available on Apple silicon Macs later this year with the release of macOS Sequoia in the fall.
Apple’s shipments made an impressive jump of 20.8% from the second quarter of 2023, while Acer took the runner-up spot with a 13.7% increase. Meanwhile, Dell’s shipments slipped 2.4% in the quarter, making it the only major PC maker to see a decrease. A new report from Gartner shows comparable figures.
While PC demand in China weakened, overall global PC shipments increased by over 5%, according to IDC. Lenovo held on to the highest market share at just under 23%, while HP’s shipments increased 1.8% from the previous year, giving them a 21% share of the market.
Apple’s increase in sales comes even as a report by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) says the percentage of Mac owners who have kept their computers for over two years increased from 59% in 2020 to 68% in 2023. CIRP says the trend is likely due to Apple’s transition from Intel chips to Apple silicon in its Mac lineup.
Apple relied on Intel processors for its Mac lineup until 2020, after adopting them in 2006 to improve performance and gain a better foothold in the PC market.
However, Apple began to feel handcuffed by Intel’s slower pace in advancing its chip technology, hampering Apple’s plans for technological advancements.
Apple first moved to its own home-grown Apple Silicon in the Mac with the M1 chip in 2020.
The trend for Mac owners to hold on longer to their computers jibes with a pattern observed across Apple’s iPhone and iPad lineups, where owners are holding on to their devices for longer periods.
During the last 12 months, the percentage of iPhone owners whose previous handset was older than two years increased by 8%, from 63% to 71%. Meanwhile, the percentage of Mac owners who held onto their computers for more than two years increased from 59% to 68%.
Contributing to the trend for the Mac is the improved performance of Apple silicon over Intel chips, meaning there is less reason to feel the need to upgrade. Also, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in more working and schooling from home, leading to a surge in demand for updated technology, resulting in increased sales during the pandemic.
We may also see a reduced demand for traditional software as cloud-based applications become more popular, resulting in fewer needs for frequent hardware upgrades.
