Apple's Mac line bucked a global PC market downturn in the second quarter, with shipments increasing 10.1% year-over-year to an estimated 6.7 million units. This growth boosted Apple's market share from 8.5% to 9.9%, making it the only top vendor to achieve a year-over-year increase. The broader PC market contracted by 4.9%, shipping 68.2 million units, marking the end of a nine-quarter growth streak.

The industry-wide decline was exacerbated by a persistent memory shortage, leading manufacturers to build inventory and subsequently raise prices for consumers. Despite raising its own Mac prices due to climbing component costs, Apple saw sustained demand. This resilience is partly attributed to its scale across product lines, which aids in securing limited memory supplies more effectively than smaller competitors.

While PC revenue climbed due to price hikes offsetting shipment declines, the trend may falter. Apple's recent price increases could impact future sales, and the memory shortage is expected to continue until early 2028. This situation puts smaller PC makers under significant pressure, while larger companies like Apple maintain an advantage in supply chain management.