Counterpoint: MacBook Neo helps Apple gain PC market share as industry shipments fall 21%

Apple outperformed the wider PC market in the third quarter, with Counterpoint Research crediting the MacBook Neo as a key factor, according to preliminary figures reported by MacRumors on Friday.

Counterpoint estimates Apple shipped 5.6 million Macs in the quarter, an 11% decline from a year earlier. That fall looks mild next to the rest of the industry: worldwide PC shipments dropped 21% to about 57 million units. As a result, Apple's share of the market rose from 8.7% to 9.8%, and it ranks as the fourth-largest PC vendor by shipments.

The larger rivals fared worse. Lenovo remained the leader with a 26.3% share, though its shipments fell 23%. HP held 18.1% after a 31% decline, and Dell had 13.3% after a 25% drop. ASUS took fifth place with a 9.2% share and was the only top-five vendor whose shipments fell by less than Apple's, with a 7% decline.

Counterpoint points to higher memory and component costs as a major drag on the market. Those costs have pushed up PC prices, and consumers are reportedly putting off purchases. Business fleet replacements and migrations away from older versions of Windows helped support some demand, but not enough to offset the broader slowdown, the firm says.

The MacBook Neo is Apple's low-cost laptop, which the company introduced in March starting at $599 and positioned toward schools, small businesses and first-time Mac buyers. Counterpoint's attribution suggests the lower entry price has helped Apple hold ground while pricier rivals lose volume. Apple does not report Mac unit shipments, so the figures are third-party estimates and may differ from other trackers.

Looking ahead, Counterpoint expects global PC shipments to fall 27% year over year in the fourth quarter, a steeper drop than in the third. For 2027, it expects volumes to be broadly flat compared with 2026.

The report arrives days before Apple's October 28 launch event in Los Angeles, where the company is widely expected to show new Macs and an iPad mini, according to earlier reporting. Apple has not confirmed what it will announce.