In a mere handful of years since introducing its initial proprietary silicon, Apple has managed to secure considerable headway with its Apple Silicon processors within the laptop arena. According to Mercury Research, the iPhone maker has successfully captured a market share in this sector comparable to that held by AMD, a veteran supplier of portable computer CPUs.
When Apple initially unveiled the M1 Arm-based chip several years ago, the firm made the decision to cease employing Intel processors in its portable devices. This shift was partly motivated by the superior battery life and more streamlined optimization achieved with Apple’s in-house designs tailored for macOS. This transition commenced in November 2020. Now, half a decade on from launching the Apple Silicon ecosystem, the company commands a significant piece of the laptop market and is clearly positioned to contest effectively with AMD in this sphere.
The reported figures indicate that AMD’s processor share in the portable computer market hovers around 21-22 percent, while Apple’s corresponding figure is situated between 18 and 19 percent. This achievement is quite remarkable when one considers that Apple has only been shipping MacBooks and Macs utilizing its proprietary chips for five years. Furthermore, Apple’s market share expansion shows no current signs of abatement. Conversely, Intel is experiencing a consistent decline in its stake of the laptop processor market, which currently stands just above 60 percent.
Apple’s triumphs in the broader desktop PC segment are less pronounced. Nevertheless, even here, the company has secured roughly a 10 percent stake in a domain historically dominated by Intel and AMD. This growth has been facilitated by the broadening portfolio of Apple Silicon chips. Currently, the company offers the mainstream M4 chip for the MacBook Air, the M4 Pro for the MacBook Pro, and the M4 Max for the most demanding laptops and the Mac Studio. Additionally, the M3 Ultra is available for use in top-tier desktop systems. This array of options has been instrumental in boosting Apple’s market penetration by catering effectively to the varied demands of different user groups.
About the Author
