Mac sales stabilize in Q4 amid worldwide PC shipment decline

Jump to First Reply
AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2017
After a steep slide last quarter, Apple's Mac saw a 2.4 percent sales increase over the three-month period ending in December as the wider PC market continued to suffer a now five year drought.


Source: Gartner


According to the latest estimates from Gartner, Apple shipped 5.4 million Macs to capture 7.5 percent of the worldwide PC market in the fourth calendar quarter of 2016, up 2.4 percent from 5.3 million units shipped and a 7 percent share of the market during the same period a year ago. The company retained its fifth place position among top vendors, correcting for a 13.4 percent year over year decline in the September quarter.

Chinese PC giant Lenovo added to its segment lead with 15.8 million units shipped, up 1.6 percent year over year and good for 21.7 percent of the market. Following close behind was HP, which boosted its stake by 4.3 percent to hit a 20.4 percent marketshare on shipments of 14.8 million PCs.

Dell and Asus ended the quarter in third and fourth place, respectively. Dell shipped an estimated 10.7 million units, up 5.4 percent from the same period last year, while Asus saw an 8.5 percent decline to 5.5 million units.

Acer came in sixth with a 6.9 percent share of the market, down 4.4 percent from the year ago quarter.

Overall, the worldwide PC market contracted another 3.7 percent in the fourth quarter due to weak holiday sales and what Gartner calls a "fundamental change" in PC buying behavior.

"The broad PC market has been static as technology improvements have not been sufficient to drive real market growth. There have been innovative form factors like 2-in-1s and thin and light notebooks, as well as technology improvements, such as longer battery life," said Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner. "This end of the market has grown fast, led by engaged PC users who put high priority on PCs. However, the market driven by PC enthusiasts is not big enough to drive overall market growth."

In the U.S., Apple held on to its fourth place spot with 2.1 million units shipped, up 6.4 percent year over year. The company took 12.8 percent of its domestic market. HP led the U.S. with just under 5 million PC shipments and a 29.9 percent share of the market, an 8 percent rise from 2015. Dell finished the year with 4.2 million units shipped to take 25.2 percent of the domestic market, while Lenovo outperformed Apple with 2.3 million shipments and a 13.8 percent marketshare.

Acer and Asus rounded out the top-six on 662,000 and 621,000 units shipped, respectively.




For the year, Apple is estimated to have shipped 18.6 million Macs for a 6.9 percent share of the global market, down from 20.4 million units and a 7.1 percent marketshare in 2015. The 8.7 percent decline was one of the worst performances put in by a top-tier vendor in 2016, second only to Acer's 9.9 percent dip.


Source: IDC


Market research firm IDC found similar results, pegging Apple Mac shipments down 0.9 percent for the fourth quarter at 5.3 million units, good for a 7.6 percent share of the worldwide market. IDC puts Apple in fourth place behind Lenovo, HP and Dell, which garnered 22.4, 21.7 and 15.7 percent of the market, respectively. Apple finished just ahead of Asus' 5.2 million shipments and 7.4 percent marketshare.

Apple is expected to reveal official Mac sales numbers in its upcoming quarterly earnings report due on Jan. 31. AppleInsider will be covering the subsequent investors conference call live at 2 p.m. Pacific, 5 p.m. Eastern.
«13

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 49
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,978member
    We'll see what the numbers really are in a couple of weeks, but I think this just goes to show that after all the complaining and whining about the 2016 MacBook Pro a lot of people still bought it. I don't believe it really had a major effect on their sales. As I've said all along, for as much complaining there is, Apple still said they had record sales of new MacBook Pro, faster than any previous MacBook Pro. Now, once Apple is able to release new iMacs they should really be back in business. The MacPro I don't see having any significant impact on Mac sales. Its a very low seller as it is.
    baconstangpulseimagesRayz2016redgeminipaStrangeDaysbrucemcwatto_cobra
     7Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 2 of 49
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,927member
    I thought the new MacBook Pros were failures. 

    If these numbers are true, it would be amazing as no new iMacs were released. Perhaps Apple knows what the F they are doing. 
    edited January 2017
    macxpresscalipulseimagesSolichiaredgeminipaStrangeDaysbrucemcwatto_cobra
     9Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 3 of 49
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,395member
    jungmark said:
    I thought the new MacBook Pros were failures. 

    If these numbers are true, it would be amazing as no new iMacs were released. Perhaps Apple knows what the F they are doing. 

    The fact that you thought that is evidence that you give too much legitimacy to the whining bullshit and negative sensationalism on the internet. 
    pulseimageswilliamlondon
     2Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 4 of 49
    boboliciousbobolicious Posts: 1,190member
    How much does forcing new hardware buyers onto an effectively ß.1 or ß.2 version of an OS simply invite sales resistance?
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 5 of 49
    xTradaTradextradatrade Posts: 63member
    Hmm, I don't know why people think this is positive?  An increase of 2.4% for the year where there was "pent up demand" is a bit disappointing. Two of the reports had negative growth in Q4 where there were new machines introduced!

    I'm assuming the 13" rMBP and MBA are their most popular models but having had only 1 month of full on sales (2 months for the base 13" rMBP) of the new rMBP models, we'll have to see. 

    I think the followup quarter will be more telling.

    Although I do feel the PC segment as a whole is to blame for lack luster sales, the $300 bump in prices for a more premium machine didn't help the situation.
    edited January 2017
    seanismorrisbirkowilliamlondonentropysavon b7
     3Likes 0Dislikes 2Informatives
  • Reply 6 of 49
    jdwjdw Posts: 1,472member
    The main thing I see from that data is that Dell had more growth than anyone else. That fact should not make any one of us in the Apple camp feel good about ourselves. The fact also remains that Apple still disillusioned a lot of people with the 2016 MBP. That is nothing new, even though I personally love FCPX, Apple disillusioned their FCP user base some years back with the big change from the FCP7 UI, and now a huge number of video editors use Adobe Premier Pro instead. It doesn't matter to me if Tim Cook is different from Steve Jobs. It's time he stop being himself and start being more like Jobs, taking more interest in what his engineers are doing and start kicking fanny to wow and impress us all. What they are doing now is nifty, but it is not innovative and stunning.
    pulseimageswilliamlondonentropys
     2Likes 0Dislikes 1Informative
  • Reply 7 of 49
    Solisoli Posts: 10,038member
    jdw said:
    The main thing I see from that data is that Dell had more growth than anyone else. That fact should not make any one of us in the Apple camp feel good about ourselves. The fact also remains that Apple still disillusioned a lot of people with the 2016 MBP.
    1) Why should you or I "feel bad" (or "feel good," for that matter) that Dell had a certain number of unit shipments in a quarter. Their unit shipment mean nothing to me as a Mac user. I doubt even the CEO of Apple "feels bad" that Dell had a slight uptick in cheap PC unit shipments.

    2) The new MBPs are great. I can't wait for the rest of the line to move to USB-C and hope they can figure out a way to have a wireless keyboard that includes the T1-chip with  the touch bar, Touch ID, and Apple Pay.
    edited January 2017
    redgeminipaStrangeDayswatto_cobra
     3Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 8 of 49
    boboliciousbobolicious Posts: 1,190member
    "2) The new MBPs are great." Indeed. But seemingly in isolation... <br>
    Short of imminent further hardware introductions, firmware, etc. a lack of:<br>
    - TB3 Apple 5K or 4K Cinema display replacement (OEM matching customer experience/aesthetic)<br>
    - Target Display support (USB-C > dual-link TB2 adapter?) for 5K iMac<br>
    - DisplayPort Support for LED Cinema Display + Target Display of DP iMacs (the 'ecosystem')<br>
    Is this a fundamental caesura in Apple hardware development...?<br>
    The all black glass bezel of a TB/LED Display seems (universally deemed) gorgeous.<br>
    LG (universally) 'not so much'?<br>
    Is excellence acquiescence or product design compromise the Apple 'New Deal' ?
    edited January 2017
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 9 of 49
    Rayz2016rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    macxpress said:
    We'll see what the numbers really are in a couple of weeks, but I think this just goes to show that after all the complaining and whining about the 2016 MacBook Pro a lot of people still bought it. I don't believe it really had a major effect on their sales. As I've said all along, for as much complaining there is, Apple still said they had record sales of new MacBook Pro, faster than any previous MacBook Pro. Now, once Apple is able to release new iMacs they should really be back in business. The MacPro I don't see having any significant impact on Mac sales. Its a very low seller as it is.
    Agreed.  We should always wait for the real numbers. I'd be surprised if the MacBook Pro was the reason for the lift, though… what with it being too thin and everything. 
    williamlondonwatto_cobra
     2Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 10 of 49
    rotateleftbyterotateleftbyte Posts: 1,633member
    bobolicious said:
    How much does forcing new hardware buyers onto an effectively ß.1 or ß.2 version of an OS simply invite sales resistance?
    As opposed to the Alpha Release that is Windows 10? Well, that's what most of those PC's sold by HP etc will be running simply because there is no support for the hardware in older (beta) versions of Windows.

    redgeminipa
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 11 of 49
    sphericspheric Posts: 2,744member
    scottkrk2 said:
    If they released a MBA with a retina screen they would sell a lot more ..... Oh, and a MBP with a full set of ports for professionals
    They did both of those things. The first with the non-Touch bar 13"; the second with the 15" machines and four full-speed multifunctional Thunderbolt 3/USB-C ports. Much more flexible and "pro" than limited single-purpose ports of which only some are going to be useful to only a fraction of users. Stop whining.
    SoliwilliamlondonStrangeDayswatto_cobra
     4Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 12 of 49
    Rayz2016rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    spheric said:
    scottkrk2 said:
    If they released a MBA with a retina screen they would sell a lot more ..... Oh, and a MBP with a full set of ports for professionals
    They did both of those things. The first with the non-Touch bar 13"; the second with the 15" machines and four full-speed multifunctional Thunderbolt 3/USB-C ports. Much more flexible and "pro" than limited single-purpose ports of which only some are going to be useful to only a fraction of users. Stop whining.
    He can't. His desire to whine is fuelled by seeing others whine, which in turn causes others to whine. He sees an increase in whining and it gives him an increased sense of belonging, so he does more whining. 

    He is, in fact, a member of the Apple Whine Circle. 

    No?

    Wow. Tough crowd. Mavis! Start the car!
    apple jockeywilliamlondonStrangeDayswatto_cobrabadmonk
     5Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 13 of 49
    noelosnoelos Posts: 127member
    xTradaTrade said:
    Hmm, I don't know why people think this is positive?  An increase of 2.4% for the year where there was "pent up demand" is a bit disappointing. Two of the reports had negative growth in Q4 where there were new machines introduced!
    There were supply constraints though. Remember, delivery times quickly blew out to 6 weeks which meant they weren't meeting the "pent up demand". As I understand it Apple doesn't book the sale until it ships.
    williamlondonwatto_cobra
     2Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 14 of 49
    croprcropr Posts: 1,144member
    Soli said:
    1) Why should you or I "feel bad" (or "feel good," for that matter) that Dell had a certain number of unit shipments in a quarter. Their unit shipment mean nothing to me as a Mac user. I doubt even the CEO of Apple "feels bad" that Dell had a slight uptick in cheap PC unit shipments.
    If there is one PC supplier that Tim Cook is watching it must be Dell.  The Dell XPS is probably the only real competitor of the Macbook Pro
    birko
     1Like 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 15 of 49
    jdwjdw Posts: 1,472member
    Soli said:
    1) Why should you or I "feel bad" (or "feel good," for that matter) that Dell had a certain number of unit shipments in a quarter. Their unit shipment mean nothing to me as a Mac user. 
    Laughable insofar as the entire article focuses on that data which includes Dell.  If the article had excluded all those companies which "mean nothing to you," then the article could not have been entitled "Mac sales stabilize in Q4 amid worldwide PC shipment decline."  In other words, those PC companies that OTHERWISE wouldn't matter to you and I matter very much to give this article life.  Those stupid Windows PC companies are the "frame of reference" on which the article stands.

    With that in mind though, the article title is clearly NOT talking about Dell, as per the data.

    If those new 2016 MBP's are as great as some people make them out to be, the data should have showed Apple besting Dell.  But that isn't what we see.  And for those people bragging about how many 2016 MBPs Apple sold, imagine how much more they would have sold had the machine been a proper BRIDGE machine -- bridging the USB-A & SD card needs of today with the USB-C requirements of tomorrow.  Just 1 USB-A port and retaining the SD card slot would have silenced most of the critics.  I myself had a 2016 MBP 15" fully loaded machine on order with ADORAMA for a month.  I had to cancel because even well into December they could not tell me when it would ship.  I considered that a Divine command to buy a fully loaded 2015 15" MBP (with dGPU) instead, and I am so glad I did.  The only thing I really miss is TouchID.  Other than that, the 2015 model has it all and is truly PRO.  
    williamlondonavon b7
     1Like 0Dislikes 1Informative
  • Reply 16 of 49
    birkobirko Posts: 60member
    cropr said:.
    If there is one PC supplier that Tim Cook is watching it must be Dell.  The Dell XPS is probably the only real competitor of the Macbook Pro
    I agree. The just announced XPS 2-in-1 is a great idea - unfortunately only announced running windows which means I will not be buying it. If they release a Linux version I seriously consider it for my next away from home machine.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 17 of 49
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,978member
    scottkrk2 said:
    If they released a MBA with a retina screen they would sell a lot more ..... Oh, and a MBP with a full set of ports for professionals
    The MacBook Air is dead...get over it! There's no reason to keep it around anymore. Its essentially just Apple's version of a Netbook at this point which I know will piss a few people off by saying that, but its true. Its Apple's cheap laptop with a very shitty screen and compared to the rest, a low powered processor and little RAM. Once they can make the 12" MacBook cheaper (to build), it will replace the MacBook Air lineup. I think this is the only reason the Air still exists right now...its just a placeholder until the 12" MacBook's price is lowered. I wouldn't be surprised if sometime this year the price was lowered to something like $1099 for the low end and maybe something like $1299 for a higher end.

    If you think about it...the MacBook Pro is the most expandable MacBook Pro they've ever had. This is something you can't do with the previous model. The USB-C (Thunderbolt) ports provide users with more options than ever. Just because it doesn't have USB-A on it, doesn't mean you can't connect anything to it. Too many people are bitching about something thats a very easy solution. Its just easier to bitch up a storm instead of actually fixing the issue for under $20 with a USB-A to USB-C cable (not even a dongle!). Everyone is so caught up in this stupid dongle argument they fail to realize they can fix their issue pretty easily without dongles unless you wanted something like Ethernet which required on last years model. You could also get a USB-C dock. Who in the hell is going to take their MacBook Pro with them and then all of these things to plug into it as well?
    williamlondonchiaStrangeDayswatto_cobra
     4Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 18 of 49
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,978member

    jdw said:
    Soli said:
    1) Why should you or I "feel bad" (or "feel good," for that matter) that Dell had a certain number of unit shipments in a quarter. Their unit shipment mean nothing to me as a Mac user. 
    If those new 2016 MBP's are as great as some people make them out to be, the data should have showed Apple besting Dell.  But that isn't what we see.  And for those people bragging about how many 2016 MBPs Apple sold, imagine how much more they would have sold had the machine been a proper BRIDGE machine -- bridging the USB-A & SD card needs of today with the USB-C requirements of tomorrow.  Just 1 USB-A port and retaining the SD card slot would have silenced most of the critics.  I myself had a 2016 MBP 15" fully loaded machine on order with ADORAMA for a month.  I had to cancel because even well into December they could not tell me when it would ship.  I considered that a Divine command to buy a fully loaded 2015 15" MBP (with dGPU) instead, and I am so glad I did.  The only thing I really miss is TouchID.  Other than that, the 2015 model has it all and is truly PRO.  
    Apple will never match Dell in sales and I seriously doubt it cares to, even with a MacBook that had a USB-A and SD Card Reader. Thats just stupid talk there. Sounds to me like you're just pissed because you ordered something and Apple couldn't make it fast enough for you. 
    williamlondonchiawatto_cobra
     3Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 19 of 49
    entropysentropys Posts: 4,415member
    spheric said:
    scottkrk2 said:
    If they released a MBA with a retina screen they would sell a lot more ..... Oh, and a MBP with a full set of ports for professionals
    They did both of those things. The first with the non-Touch bar 13"; the second with the 15" machines and four full-speed multifunctional Thunderbolt 3/USB-C ports. Much more flexible and "pro" than limited single-purpose ports of which only some are going to be useful to only a fraction of users. Stop whining.
    Yes, the non touchbar MBP is in fact the retina MBA we never got, and everybody wanted.  It just priced like a MBP. $300 less and it would still be supply constrained by next Christmas.
    edited January 2017
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 20 of 49
    nhtnht Posts: 4,522member
    birko said:
    cropr said:.
    If there is one PC supplier that Tim Cook is watching it must be Dell.  The Dell XPS is probably the only real competitor of the Macbook Pro
    I agree. The just announced XPS 2-in-1 is a great idea - unfortunately only announced running windows which means I will not be buying it. If they release a Linux version I seriously consider it for my next away from home machine.
    1) If you don't know how to install Linux over windows then Linux is not the right solution for you.

    2) The normal XPS 13 come in a developer edition with Ubuntu 16.04 LTS.  I don't know anyone that bought one...everyone I know bought the windows version so they had a dual boot option.  Often they do a coupon code discount and if you downgrade to Win 10 Home and apply the coupon it's the same price as the Ubuntu version so why not?

    3) Touch screen support in Linux still sucks.  You probably want Elementary over the Ubuntu install Dell usually does.
    chiabirko
     1Like 0Dislikes 1Informative
Sign In or Register to comment.