Periodically we are able to know the numbers of units that have been shipped and sold of the different products that Apple currently manages. Although we already know everything that has happened with the new iPhone 15, we must not forget that Mac is one of the business lines that has been most strengthened in recent years, thanks to the Apple Silicon processors and new additions in the product family. But still, not everything is rosy.
Falls that are close to 25%
As explained by the English-speaking news outlet 9to5Mac, there are “two market agencies that have reported that Mac shipments in the third quarter have fallen dramatically year after year.”
There are two firms that have released the decline figures. On the one hand, they explain that IDC has a figure of 23.1%, while Gartner has a slightly higher estimate, which is 24.2%. But, however, Apple is not the only company that has fallen in shipments and sales of computers. “The entire PC market” has also done so, according to what they say, by 8%.
These figures, however, have a context. And, according to 9to5Mac, “none of these figures should be a surprise.” Because? We explain it to you!
A perfect combination of ingredients
The context of the fall is important to know why all this is happening. And at 9to5Mac they also explain it. “Mac shipments saw significant growth during the pandemic, when working from home led to increased demand for technology products, including Macs.” Therefore, confinement, along with everything that it entailed, made many more people buy computers.
But the pandemic not only increased demand. “Supply issues related to the pandemic meant pent-up demand for Macs, which was finally met when supply reached the same demand figures last year,” they explain.
Therefore, a further increase in shipments and sales from the pandemic, and once demand is duly covered, “Mac shipments have returned to pre-pandemic levels, in a market that is declining.” Thus, if everything stabilizes, within a sector that is not experiencing growth, the decline will be pronounced.
And what do the numbers say?
According to the IDC study, “global volumes have declined 7.6% year over year, with 68.2 million computers (PCs and Macs) shipped.” In the Gartner study, for their part, they explain that “global PC (and Mac) shipments have been 64.3 million units in the third quarter of 2023, a 9% drop compared to the same period of the year.” 2022».
So, we have a market that, as a whole, is experiencing a decline of between 8% and 9%. Still, “both firms agree that the third quarter was the lowest point in the market, with growth expected to begin again in this new quarter.”
