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MacBook Shipments Surge But Customer Demand Remains Unclear

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Apple shipped significantly more MacBooks during the first quarter of 2025, outpacing the broader PC market, according to new estimates from Counterpoint Research.

M4-MacBook-Air-13-and-15-inch-Feature-Pink-and-Yellow.jpg

While the overall PC market grew 6.7% compared to the same period in 2024, Apple led major vendors with a 17% increase in unit shipments. However, the report attributes much of the industry's first-quarter gains to accelerated shipments as manufacturers moved to avoid new tariffs expected to be implemented by the United States later in the year.

Temporary exemptions on tariffs for certain electronic products allowed companies to front-load shipments during the exemption window. As a result, the increase in shipped units does not necessarily translate to higher sales to end users, and many of the products delivered in the first quarter are expected to remain in inventory throughout the coming months.

For Apple, the launch of the M4 MacBook Air in March 2025 also contributed to its shipment volume. Despite Apple touting the M4 chip's AI capabilities, the report notes that the shipment gains are not necessarily a sign of growing consumer interest in AI PCs.

Apple reportedly increased its share of global PC shipments from approximately 9% in the first quarter of 2024 to 10% in the first quarter of 2025. Lenovo retained the largest market share overall. Apple typically reports product revenue rather than unit shipments, making third-party estimates an indirect measure of market activity.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Article Link: MacBook Shipments Surge But Customer Demand Remains Unclear
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/04/23/macbook-shipments-surge-but-demand-unclear/
Increased MacBook shipments likely due to Microsoft's virtual desktop now available for DoD. Soldiers can seamlessly run Windows on Macs at zero cost with CAC logins, a game-changer and a long time coming. Expect uptick as more troops switch Apple.
 
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I’m curious how many Windows 10 users that do not game are considering a Mac instead of Windows 11.
 
Despite Apple touting the M4 chip's AI capabilities, the report notes that the shipment gains are not necessarily a sign of growing consumer interest in AI PCs.

I can tell you this is true in my case. I picked a new MacBook Pro in the first quarter - and I have zero interest in AI.
 
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I thought about transitioning from my MBP M1 Pro to an MBA M4 but when I looked at it the only gain for me would be a minor weight saving when travelling. At all other times it would sit on the shelf doing nothing like my MBP is. Changing MacBooks for me is a ways off.
 
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I waited to buy an M4 MBP until I saw what the M4 MBA brought to the table, so I floated my Q4 2024 purchase to Q1 2025. So I did my part in inflating the Q1 sales for 2025.
 
I recently purchased a new M4-based MacBook Pro far outside my normal upgrade cycle.

The following risks led to my decision:
  • wild tariffs
  • the possibility of unavailability of key materials, leading to shortages
  • inflation risks
  • political disruption in Taiwan
Furthermore, I could still sell my existing and perfectly awesome M1 for good money to a local buyer.

I concluded that any loss related to me "upgrading earlier than normal" was negligible.
 
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The Quality of Apple MacBooks are unmatched and unique in the market. I am typing this on my MacBook Pro 17' that is 15 years old. I think about a new MacBook Pro 16' M4 Pro right now, just to evade future hassles. I would absolutely buy now if I would reside in the USA. There are some tough times coming up to the world and nobody knows how long this USA recession will last.

 
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Makes sense to stockpile inventory during a time of uncertainty and before the tariffs kick in.
 
I wouldn't worry overmuch about those tariffs. Trump is already waffling, and Chinese media are declaring victory. Of course. America can't live without what we get from China, since there's no one else who can supply it at scale currently. China can get what they have bought from America (farm products and equipment) from anywhere.
 
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JitteryJimmy said:
I recently purchased a new M4-based MacBook Pro far outside my normal upgrade cycle.

The following risks led to my decision:
  • wild tariffs
  • the possibility of unavailability of key materials, leading to shortages
  • inflation risks
  • political disruption in Taiwan
Furthermore, I could still sell my existing and perfectly awesome M1 for good money to a local buyer.

I concluded that any loss related to me "upgrading earlier than normal" was negligible.
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I'm debating upgrading for the same reason. I'm not due, but I could easily foresee a series of events that makes the supply chain go down for years (e.g. China breaks TSMC while trying to take Taiwan by force).
 
I'd say there's both 'panic buying' by consumers and 'panic hoarding' by the companies because of the uncertainty. Sales are probably up, but not by as much as shipments.

I know if I was considering a change in the next year or so I'd have jumped in before the tariffs take effect.
 
Steve121178 said:
The M4 range is their best ever line-up. No reason to not upgrade or buy a Mac if you're in the market for new hardware.
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I feel like the current lineup is enterprise ready. It’s very sound, solid and reliable. Yet there’s nothing great or exciting about any of it. When the retina MacBook Pro came out it was revolutionary. 12 inch MacBook was a marvel. These current computers are just blah, even though they work without fail.
 
I was honestly going to wait until EOY 2025 to upgrade my MBP, but given the current political and economic climate (mostly due to potential for substantial increase in cost to purchase), I am likely to upgrade in the next few weeks.
 
Apples' deliberate and judicious strategy of capitalizing on Windows 11 and tariffs is paying off.
 
lyngo said:
I wonder how much of this is fear of tariffs and what tariffs will go into play. Probably not much, but I figured it’s worth pointing out.
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Well it was for me! In one week we've bought a MBA M4 and an iPhone 16 - both for my wife! It was partly uncertainty about tariffs but my rule was that something had to be likely to need changing in the next 3 years and 9 months. I might still buy another 16 for myself as the 17 might well be more expensive and new designs always come with the risk of issues.
 
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