Apple's Notebook Shipments Grew an Estimated 94% in Q1 2021

Apple shipped an estimated 5.7 million notebook computers in the first calendar quarter of 2021, according to new notebook PC shipping estimates shared today by Strategy Analytics.

macbook air m1 unboxing feature
Mac notebooks include the MacBook Pro models and the MacBook Air models, excluding the Mac mini, Mac Pro, and iMac.

pc notebook strategy analytics shipments
Apple was the number four worldwide notebook vendor, trailing behind Dell, HP, and Lenovo, with all three companies shipping between 10 and 16 million notebooks during the quarter.

Apple's 5.7 million notebooks shipped is up 94 percent from the 2.9 million that it shipped in the year-ago quarter, with the strong growth coming from continued Mac demand as people work from home and begin the transition to hybrid home working models.

Apple's market share for the quarter was at 8.4 percent, up from 7.8 percent last year. Lenovo and HP continue to be market leaders, shipping a variety of PC notebooks running Windows alongside Chromebooks, which saw strong growth in the education sector.

pc notebook market share strategy analytics
Total notebook PC shipments were up 81 percent year over year among all major vendors, but Apple in particular may have seen major growth thanks to the November launch of the M1 13-inch MacBook Pro and ‌MacBook Air‌, both of which vastly outperform prior Intel models without price increases.

Apple will likely sustain its Mac growth as it prepares to introduce even more powerful Apple silicon machines later in the year. Rumors suggest there are upgraded 16-inch MacBook Pro models in the works, plus we're still waiting on a higher-end larger version of the ‌iMac‌. Apple is also expected to introduce a new ‌MacBook Air‌ and a new MacBook Pro, but those might not come until 2022.

Top Rated Comments

deputy_doofy Avatar
38 months ago
My M1 MBA is just fu@<ing awesome! Funny (and sad) thing is, I bought an i7 MBA in 2020 also, so I was able to directly compare them and can easily conclude that the i7 in the same "class" doesn't hold a candle.

I will say that running iOS apps is mostly gimmicky, but a couple games work ok on it.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GuruZac Avatar
38 months ago
No surprise. Apple delivered $999-$1299 laptops that have, practically speaking for most users, 16” MacBook Pro level performance, better battery life. I never thought I would buy a MacBook Air, but I order one because at the cost, it’s a heck of a laptop.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rwalle Avatar
38 months ago
At first glance I thought think was great achievement. Then I realized that Lenovo, HP, Acer and "other" all achieved comparable growth. So, nothing to see here.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Okasian Avatar
38 months ago
A superior tactile keyboard with clicky function keys.

A new paradigm in CISC-based processing.

Who’d have thought huh?

A lot of us have been waiting for viable MacBooks since 2015.

(Also Covid)
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jazz1 Avatar
38 months ago
Ha! We've come a long way Apple lovers. Some years ago, one of my duties in higher education was administering exams. The exam software we used was not yet available on Macs. As I was checking a packed exam room I noticed a glowing Apple among the "dull" Dells ;)

I immediately checked out the student who was running a Windows machine cabled to a Mac. He was cheating by overriding the exam software's Wifi block, and using his Mac to access the Internet. That was a big NO, NO! Our tech. department even confirmed this student was accessing the Internet during the exam.

Years later, I was happy to see a sea of glowing Apple logos in the classroom!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DaveP Avatar
38 months ago
Or stated differently: Apple's quarterly laptop growth was less than the Other manufacturers category.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Delta Feature

Delta Game Emulator Now Available From App Store on iPhone

Wednesday April 17, 2024 9:58 am PDT by
Game emulator apps have come and gone since Apple announced App Store support for them on April 5, but now popular game emulator Delta from developer Riley Testut is available for download. Testut is known as the developer behind GBA4iOS, an open-source emulator that was available for a brief time more than a decade ago. GBA4iOS led to Delta, an emulator that has been available outside of...
iOS NES Emulator Bimmy Feature

NES Emulator for iPhone and iPad Now Available on App Store [Removed]

Tuesday April 16, 2024 11:33 am PDT by
The first approved Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) emulator for the iPhone and iPad was made available on the App Store today following Apple's rule change. The emulator is called Bimmy, and it was developed by Tom Salvo. On the App Store, Bimmy is described as a tool for testing and playing public domain/"homebrew" games created for the NES, but the app allows you to load ROMs for any...
iPhone 15 Pro Action Button Translate

All iPhone 16 Models to Feature Action Button, But Usefulness Debated

Tuesday April 16, 2024 6:54 am PDT by
Last September, Apple's iPhone 15 Pro models debuted with a new customizable Action button, offering faster access to a handful of functions, as well as the ability to assign Shortcuts. Apple is poised to include the feature on all upcoming iPhone 16 models, so we asked iPhone 15 Pro users what their experience has been with the additional button so far. The Action button replaces the switch ...
maxresdefault

Hands-On With the New App Store Delta Game Emulator

Wednesday April 17, 2024 12:19 pm PDT by
A decade ago, developer Riley Testut released the GBA4iOS emulator for iOS, and since it was against the rules at the time, Apple put a stop to downloads. Emulators have been a violation of the App Store rules for years, but that changed on April 5 when Apple suddenly reversed course and said that it was allowing retro game emulators on the App Store. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel ...
iOS 18 Siri Integrated Feature

iOS 18 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Friday April 12, 2024 11:11 am PDT by
iOS 18 is expected to be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. iOS 18 is rumored to include new generative AI features for Siri and many apps, and Apple plans to add RCS support to the Messages app for an improved texting experience between iPhones and Android devices. The update is also expected to introduce a more...