Apple's Mac Shipments Increase in Q2 2018 as PC Market Sees First Growth in 6 Years [Updated]

Apple's worldwide Mac shipments grew 3 percent in the second quarter of 2018 compared to the year-ago quarter, according to new preliminary PC shipping estimates shared today by Gartner.

During the quarter, Apple shipped an estimated 4.4 million Macs, compared to 4.26 million in the second quarter of 2017. Apple's market share also saw slight growth, improving from 7 percent in Q2 2017 to 7.1 percent in Q2 2018.

gartner 2Q18 global

Gartner's Preliminary Worldwide PC Vendor Unit Shipment Estimates for 2Q18 (Thousands of Units)

Apple's improved Mac sales come amid an overall increase in worldwide PC shipments, the first growth that's been seen in the last six years. Worldwide PC shipments totaled an estimated 62.1 million units in Q2 2018, up from 61.3 million in the year-ago quarter.

Though Apple saw sales growth in Q2 2018, the company was ranked the number four PC vendor in the world, coming in behind Dell, HP, and Lenovo. Lenovo was the number one vendor with 13.6 million PCs shipped, followed by HP with just under 13.6 million and Dell with 10.5 million. Acer Group, the number five worldwide PC vendor, shipped 4 million PCs during the quarter.

Lenovo and HP are tied for 21.9 percent market share, followed by Dell at 16.8 percent and Apple, as previously mentioned, at 7.1 percent. All of the top five worldwide PC vendors saw shipment growth in Q2 2018 compared to last year.

"PC shipment growth in the second quarter of 2018 was driven by demand in the business market, which was offset by declining shipments in the consumer segment," said Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner. "In the consumer space, the fundamental market structure, due to changes on PC user behavior, still remains, and continues to impact market growth. Consumers are using their smartphones for even more daily tasks, such as checking social media, calendaring, banking and shopping, which is reducing the need for a consumer PC.

Apple saw less growth in the United States, shipping an estimated 1.84 million Macs, up from 1.81 in the year-ago quarter, an increase of 1.7 percent. Apple was also the number four vendor in the U.S., coming in behind HP (#1), Dell (#2), and Lenovo (#3). Apple holds 12.7 percent of the PC market in the United States, compared to 14.9 percent for Lenovo, 28.6 percent for Dell, and 29.3 percent for HP.

gartner 2Q18 us

Gartner's Preliminary U.S. PC Vendor Unit Shipment Estimates for 2Q18 (Thousands of Units)

Almost all top vendors in the U.S. saw shipment growth, with the exception of HP, which saw shipments fall 0.6 percent. Acer Group had the best quarter in the United states with 25.7 percent growth. Overall U.S. shipments were up 1.7 percent, with a total of 14.5 million PCs shipped during the quarter, compared to 14.3 million in Q2 2017.

gartner 2Q18 trend

Apple's Market Share Trend: 1Q06–2Q18 (Gartner)

It's important to note that data from Gartner is preliminary, and that the numbers can shift, sometimes dramatically and sometimes less so. Last year, for example, Gartner estimated Q2 2017 worldwide Mac shipments at 4.236 million when the actual number was 4.266 million.

Apple's Mac sales could grow significantly next quarter and through the end of 2018. Apple today introduced new 13 and 15-inch MacBook Pro models with improved processors, more maximum RAM, higher-capacity SSDs, True Tone displays, and more.

The rest of Apple's Mac lineup, including iMacs, MacBooks, and the Mac mini, is also expected to get a refresh before the end of 2018.

Update: IDC also released its Q2 2018 worldwide PC estimates, suggesting Apple shipped 4.308 million Macs, compared to 4.303 million in the year-ago quarter for growth of just 0.1 percent. IDC also ranked Apple as the number four worldwide vendor and according to IDC's estimates, worldwide PC shipments were up 2.7 percent overall.

Tag: Gartner

Top Rated Comments

some_random_guy Avatar
68 months ago
As usual Macrumor's giving great emphasis on the Mac. But the reality, considering data is right, is clearly shown in the figures.

Lenovo 20.1% -> 21.9%
HP 20.9% -> 21.9%
Dell 15.6% -> 16.8%
Apple 7.0% -> 7.1%

Dell and Lenovo are gaining a lot more traction (9.5% and 6.1% growth respectively compared to Apple's 3.0%)
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DakotaGuy Avatar
68 months ago
As usual Macrumor's giving great emphasis on the Mac. But the reality, considering data is right, is clearly shown in the figures.

Lenovo 20.1% -> 21.9%
HP 20.9% -> 21.9%
Dell 15.6% -> 16.8%
Apple 7.0% -> 7.1%

Dell and Lenovo are gaining a lot more traction (9.5% and 6.1% growth respectively compared to Apple's 3.0%)
Well the growth those other companies are experiencing is because they are still committed to the PC and investing in new PC products. Apple's Mac business is more of a sideline business to them and phones and tablets are their main focus. Apple is selling mainly on brand name and to a loyal user base. No company that "cares" about their PC business has products available today that have not been updated since 2013.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mac Fly (film) Avatar
68 months ago
Imagine Apple’s market share if their machines were just 10% more affordable. But then Apple would be left with a measly 30% profit. Wall St. can’t be having that now, can they. After all, look what happened the bankers after the bailout—champagne for all!
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
No. 44 Avatar
68 months ago
Does anybody make keyboard with 4 years of warranty?
No, because nobody else makes a keyboard that can be completely crippled by a speck of dust...
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
donster28 Avatar
68 months ago
Apple's Faulty Keyboard Shipments increase...
Let's stop it with the faulty keyboard scenario already. Not most people are being affected. It is overrated and was started by a Mac hater that quickly escalated and supported by more Mac haters. Now don't quote me on that...;)
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NinjaHERO Avatar
68 months ago
It seems like the lack of a spike in sales the last few years shows you that Apple isn't making machines that grab people anymore. I could be wrong, but that graph looks like it shows a spike every time a model update came out. Until the last few years. Then fairly steady as no one is excited about touchbars and a lack of ports.

Then again I hate the touchbar and a lack of dedicated media keys, so I'm biased. :-)
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 17

Apple Releases iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 With Bug Fixes, Plus iOS 17.0.2 for iPhone 15 Models

Thursday September 21, 2023 10:28 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 updates for the iPhone and the iPad, adding bug fixes to the new software. The iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 updates come just a few days after Apple launched iOS 17 and iPadOS 17. The software, which is build 21A340, can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. There is a...
iPhone 16 Mock Header With Dynamic Island

Skipping the iPhone 15 Pro? Here's What's Rumored for iPhone 16 Pro

Friday September 22, 2023 9:29 am PDT by
Are you skipping the iPhone 15 Pro and waiting another year to upgrade? If so, we already have some iPhone 16 Pro rumors for you. Below, we recap new features rumored for the iPhone 16 Pro models so far:Larger displays: The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be equipped with larger 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays, respectively, according to Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain...
Update Your iPhone 15 to iOS 17

Warning: Update Your iPhone 15 to iOS 17.0.2 Before Transferring Data From Another iPhone

Friday September 22, 2023 6:36 am PDT by
If you are unboxing an iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max today, make sure to update the device to iOS 17.0.2 before transferring data to the device from another iPhone, or else you might encounter issues. iOS 17.0.2 is only available for the iPhone 15 lineup. Apple says the update fixes an issue that may prevent transferring data directly from another iPhone...
Apple Watch Ultra 2 double tap gesture 230912

watchOS 10.1 to Enable Apple Watch's New 'Double Tap' Gesture

Thursday September 21, 2023 12:52 pm PDT by
The new Double Tap gesture for the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 will be enabled starting with watchOS 10.1, according to Marques Brownlee, host of the popular tech-focused YouTube channel MKBHD. The first beta of watchOS 10.1 will likely be available by next week, and Apple announced that the software update will be released next month. Brownlee shared his impressions...
emojipedia 15 1 emoji

Emoji Coming to Future iOS 17 Update Include Shaking Head, Brown Mushroom, Lime, Phoenix and More

Tuesday September 19, 2023 12:43 pm PDT by
As Apple was announcing new iPhone models last week, the Unicode Consortium was officially approving new emoji characters that are set to be added to smartphones starting in 2024. Mockup of new emoji from Emojipedia Approved Unicode 15.1 emoji include phoenix, lime, an edible mushroom, shaking head vertically (as in a "yes" nod), shaking head horizontally (a "no" head shake), and broken...
iPhone 15 Pro Fingerprints

Apple Says Fingerprints Can 'Temporarily Alter the Color' of iPhone 15 Pro's Titanium Frame

Thursday September 21, 2023 2:48 pm PDT by
In a support document updated today, Apple indicates that fingerprints might "temporarily alter the color" of the titanium frame on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Fortunately, Apple says this is not a permanent condition, as the fingerprints can be wiped off just like on any other iPhone to restore a clean finish. "For iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, the oil from your skin...