Apple Still Seeing Strong Mac Sales Growth Amid Easing iMac Constraints
Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster today issued a new research report sharing data from research firm NPD covering Apple's U.S. Mac sales for the January-February timeframe, revealing that Apple's sales are currently up 14% year-over-year. The performance is down somewhat from the 31% growth seen for January alone, but remains very solid as Apple's iMac shortages appear to have eased.
We have analyzed domestic NPD retail data for the months of January and February which suggests Mac sales were up 14% y/y through the first two months of the March quarter. As we have previously discussed, we believe the Y/Y improvement is driven by Apple beginning to improve supply of iMacs as the company noted the product was constrained in the December quarter. CEO Tim Cook noted that iMac sales were down 700k units y/y in December (we note iMac sales are likely far less impacted by iPad, thus the vast majority of the y/y unit decline in December was likely supply).
Despite the strong performance, Munster is maintaining his estimate of an overall 5% decline in worldwide Mac sales for the quarter, even though Apple's worldwide numbers have frequently outperformed the U.S. data gathered by NPD.
On the downside, NPD's data shows a return to Munster's expectations for the iPod, with the two-month timeframe seeing sales down 16% year-over-year compared to Munster's projections for a 17% decline. iPod sales had been up 3% in January.
While strong Mac sales are a good sign for Apple, the increasing dominance of the iPhone and iPad in the company's product portfolio means that strong Mac sales have less of an impact on Apple's overall financial performance. In the most recent quarter, Macs accounted for just 10% of Apple's revenue, compared to 20% for the iPad and a dominant 56% for the iPhone.
Popular Stories
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon.
In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis.
In his Powe...
We are still waiting for the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate to come out, so the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week or two away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April.
Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far.
iOS 26.3
iPhone to Android Transfer Tool
iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models.
"All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips alongside macOS 26.3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
"Apple's faster MacBook Pros are planned for the macOS 26.3 release cycle," wrote Gurman, in his Power On newsletter today.
"I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated for the macOS 26.3 software cycle, which runs from...
In 2022, Apple introduced a new Apple Home architecture that is "more reliable and efficient," and the deadline to upgrade and avoid issues is fast approaching.
In an email this week, Apple gave customers a final reminder to upgrade their Home app by February 10, 2026. Apple says users who do not upgrade may experience issues with accessories and automations, or lose access to their smart...
