Apple's Mac shipments saw an 11% decrease to 5.6 million units in the third quarter of 2026, yet its market share grew to 9.8%. This increase occurred as the overall worldwide PC market experienced a significant 21% contraction. Rising production costs for components like memory have driven up PC prices, causing consumers to delay purchases. The MacBook Neo was highlighted as a significant factor in Apple's relative strength during this downturn. Despite the decline, Apple maintained its position as the fourth-largest PC vendor. Leading vendors like Lenovo, HP, and Dell experienced larger shipment decreases than Apple. ASUS, in fifth place, was the only other top vendor to show a smaller decline than Apple. Counterpoint Research anticipates a further 27% drop in global PC shipments for the fourth quarter. The firm projects 2027 PC shipment volumes to remain largely flat compared to 2026.