Apple ended 2025 with little movement in Mac shipments during the holiday quarter, even as the wider PC market returned to growth. The numbers show a mixed picture. Apple held steady while rivals surged ahead.
According to the International Data Corporation, global PC shipments rose 9.6 percent year over year in the fourth quarter of 2025, reaching 76.4 million units. Vendors rushed orders before expected supply limits and higher component prices. Within that total, Apple shipped 7.1 million Macs. That figure stayed almost unchanged from a year earlier. As a result, Apple’s market share fell for the quarter, even though the overall market expanded.
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Apple ranked fourth worldwide. Lenovo, HP, and Dell all posted double-digit growth and widened the gap.
Quarterly performance at a glance
- Global PC market: 76.4 million units, up 9.6 percent
- Apple: 7.1 million Macs, flat year over year
- Lenovo: 19.3 million units, up 14.4 percent
- HP: 15.4 million units, up 12.1 percent
- Dell: 11.7 million units, up 18.2 percent
IDC linked the stronger quarter to several forces. The end of Windows 10 support pushed upgrades. Earlier tariff concerns unsettled planning. At the same time, tighter memory supply made vendors pull purchases forward into late 2025. Together, these factors boosted the usual holiday demand.
Full-year view
While the holiday quarter lagged, Apple’s full-year results looked better.
- Apple 2025 shipments: 25.6 million Macs, up from 23.0 million in 2024
- Apple growth: 11.1 percent year over year
- Global PC market 2025: 284.7 million units, up 8.1 percent
- Apple market share: 9.0 percent, up from 8.7 percent
Apple grew faster than the overall PC market over the year. That lifted its annual share. However, its fourth-quarter share slipped to 9.3 percent from 10.2 percent a year earlier, as Windows PC makers expanded at a quicker pace.
In short, Apple held its ground at the end of 2025. The broader market moved faster. Over the full year, though, Apple still gained ground, showing steady demand for Macs even in a highly competitive PC landscape.
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