Mac Shipments Up 17% in Q1 2025 Fueled by New M4 MacBook Air [Chart]

Apple's Mac shipments rose 17% year-over-year in Q1 2025, contributing to a 6.7% increase in the global PC market to 61.4 million units, driven largely by the threat of US tariffs, according to Counterpoint Research's early data. Vendors rushed to ship PCs to the US before new duties hit, while demand for AI-powered computers grew as Windows 10 support nears its end.

Apple's growth came from its new M4-based MacBook lineup, which hit the mark with buyers looking for AI-ready devices. Lenovo, holding the top spot in market share, saw an 11% rise in shipments, driven by its own AI-focused PCs and a broad product mix. HP and Dell followed with 6% and 4% growth, respectively, riding the wave of pre-tariff demand in the US. This rush tightened the major brands' hold on the market.




The PC industry's heavy reliance on China for manufacturing is a growing concern with tariffs looming. While laptops got a temporary pass from recent US exemptions, the Trump administration's plan to add duties on semiconductors and other tech products next quarter is stirring uncertainty. Manufacturers are eyeing moves to Vietnam, India, and Mexico, though those regions face their own tariff challenges. Counterpoint's Senior Analyst William Li said, "Going forward, competitive dynamics will be shaped by OEMs' ability to diversify their supply chains and manufacturing bases, in addition to positioning themselves to offer the best AI PC experiences by striking key ecosystem partnerships, from silicon to software to model vendors."

The US is the key market for showcasing what AI PCs can do, but tariffs could slow things down. Associate Director David Naranjo noted, "The US market remains the most important market for AI PCs to demonstrate their capabilities and the best market to sell advanced AI-enabled devices. High tariffs, or tariff policy uncertainties, will likely discourage consumers or enterprises from buying new devices with additional costs, which in turn will suppress growth and increase in penetration. The lingering global economic uncertainty will also pose a downside risk to our forecast of a mid-single-digit YoY shipment growth of the PC market in 2025."

More details in the full report linked below...

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