IDC: Mac shipments drop 11% in Q3 as global PC market slides 20%

IDC’s latest data shows Mac shipments fell 11.3% year over year in Q3 2026, but Apple still gained PC market share because the overall market contracted much more sharply, down 20.1%. For CIOs, the takeaway is that PC demand remains weak and inventory normalization, pricing pressure, and supply constraints are distorting purchase timing—creating a tougher environment for endpoint refresh planning and budget forecasting. IT organizations should expect continued promotional activity and elevated prices into 2026–2027, making procurement strategy, lifecycle management, and vendor mix decisions more important than usual.