Apple's Mac shipments outpaced the PC market in Q1 2026, driven by a 3.2% increase in global PC shipments compared to 2025. However, this growth was due to a mix of product timing and industry-wide pressure. The rise was driven by consumers and businesses rushing to buy PCs before anticipated memory price hikes, and the large number of existing Windows 10 systems prompted many to upgrade. Mac shipments increased by 11% to 6.7 million units, with new MacBook models shipping in March helping to boost Apple's year-over-year comparison. However Counterpoint's data indicates a shift in how PC vendors operate, with low-margin systems becoming harder to sustain as component prices rise. The report suggests that higher prices will impact shipments later in 2026 as demand subsides and demand stabilizes after the Windows 10 transition.