Microsoft's decision to axe Windows 10 is driving Apple PC sales growth — users buy Macs instead of AI PCs despite Microsoft’s push for Copilot+ PCs

Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 last October 14, ending its reign as one of the most popular operating systems for PCs after nearly a decade. This happened about a year and a half after the introduction of Copilot+ PCs, and while some Windows PC makers were able to increase their shipments in the third quarter of this year, Apple seems to be one of the biggest winners, marching towards the end of the Windows 10 era. According to Counterpoint Research, Lenovo is the biggest gainer, shipping 17.4% more units in 3Q25, but Apple’s Mac shipments also jumped by 14.9% YoY.

This creates a huge bump for the company, with brands like Asus (+14%) and HP (+10%) also selling more units. Perhaps surprisingly, Dell sold fewer units, with company shipments falling by 0.9%, while all the rest of other PC makers sold 3% fewer units on average. Despite that, the overall PC market grew by 8.1% YoY — largely driven by the need to upgrade hardware to make them compatible with Windows 11 and to store additional inventory as a hedge from President Donald Trump’s exceptionally high import tariffs.

Despite the uncertainty with tariffs and the trade war between the U.S. and China, Lenovo’s growth rate was very high, especially when compared to its competitors. However, Apple is the surprising runner-up on our list, with the company’s shipments increasing by a whopping 14.9% YoY.

This means that quite a number of users are purchasing Macs and MacBooks instead of picking another Windows laptop, especially as some devices that are seemingly good enough for Windows 11 cannot install it due to a lack of a TPM 2.0 chip. Tariffs are another driver behind this jump in shipments, with companies stocking up on computers and other components, allowing them to have ready availability.

This interesting tidbit is that despite all the marketing, the AI PC has yet to take off more than a year after its introduction from the blueprint to the drawing board. This was the situation over a year ago, when people didn’t choose an AI PC for its AI features, instead picking a model that has the proper components for their needs (like more RAM or larger storage capacity). In fact, Intel is increasing the prices of its Raptor Lake chips owing to the growing demand for this bird.

Still, Counterpoint believes that AI PC shipments will increase across the industry in 2025, especially with the pending arrival of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite and the development of Intel’s own Xe3 graphics architecture. “The PC market’s rebound in 2025 is not just about replacing outdated systems; it is about preparing for what is next,” said Counterpoint Associate David Naranjo. “Many enterprises are choosing AI-capable PCs to future-proof their fleets, even if they do not yet need those capabilities immediately. The next refresh cycle will be defined by intelligence at the edge, not just performance improvements.”

Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News, or add us as a preferred source, to get our latest news, analysis, & reviews in your feeds.