Omdia expects 26.401 million macOS devices and 13.99 million ChromeOS devices to ship worldwide in 2026, down from 27.74 million and 19.317 million in 2025.
This Chromebook vs MacBook market share breakdown sets that forecast beside Q2 2026 vendor shipments, August 2026 desktop pageview data, Apple’s Mac revenue, MacBook Neo pricing and Japan’s GIGA School device survey. Each figure is labeled with what it measures.
Chromebook vs MacBook Market Share
Which Has More Market Share in 2026, Chromebook or MacBook?
macOS leads. Omdia’s March 2026 forecast gives macOS 10.8% of 2026 desktop and notebook shipments and ChromeOS 5.7%.
Both platforms shrink in units. Omdia forecasts macOS down 4.8% and ChromeOS down 27.6%, while the total market falls 12.0%.
Omdia’s Kieren Jessop tied the ChromeOS decline to the platform’s education weighting, tighter component allocation, lower margins and discontinued memory and storage parts. He credited Apple’s vertically integrated supply chain and premium positioning for the smaller Mac decline.
Omdia’s macOS line counts every Mac, desktops included, so this is a Mac-versus-Chromebook comparison rather than MacBooks alone.
Windows and others hold 83.0% of the same forecast, and the Windows side of the budget segment is covered in these Chromebook and Windows laptop sales figures.
| Platform | 2025 shipments (thousands) | 2025 share | 2026 forecast (thousands) | 2026 share | Annual change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows & Others | 231,679 | 83.1% | 203,550 | 83.0% | -12.1% |
| MacOS | 27,740 | 10.0% | 26,401 | 10.8% | -4.8% |
| ChromeOS | 19,317 | 6.9% | 13,990 | 5.7% | -27.6% |
| HarmonyOS | 141 | 0.1% | 1,404 | 0.6% | 897.0% |
| Total | 278,876 | 100.0% | 245,344 | 100.0% | -12.0% |
Source: Omdia PC Horizon Service (sell-in shipments and forecast), March 2026
Q2 2026 Shipments: Apple PCs Up 15.9%, Chromebooks Down 8.6%
Apple shipped 7.257 million PCs in Q2 2026, up 15.9% from 6.264 million, according to Omdia’s July 2026 release. Its share of desktop and notebook shipments rose from 9.2% to 11.1%.
Chromebook shipments fell 8.6% to 5.415 million units in the same quarter, from 5.926 million, per Omdia’s August 2026 release. Q1 2026 had already dropped 11.5% to 4.503 million.
Omdia credited Apple’s growth to the MacBook Neo launch and healthy underlying demand. For Chromebooks, it cited vendors deprioritizing a low-profit category, an elevated Q2 2025 base when education deployments peaked, and delayed deployments.
Lenovo led Chromebooks with 1.758 million units, while Asus grew 66.2% to 749,000 and Dell fell 47.1% to 465,000. The full vendor-level Chromebook shipment tables break down each quarter.
Apple’s row includes desktop Macs, so it is broader than MacBooks. Both series below are Omdia sell-in units.
| Quarter | Chromebooks (thousands) | Chromebook annual change | Apple PCs (thousands) | Apple annual change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 2025 | 5,090 | n/a | 6,750 | n/a |
| Q2 2025 | 5,926 | n/a | 6,264 | n/a |
| Q1 2026 | 4,503 | -11.5% | 7,112 | 5.4% |
| Q2 2026 | 5,415 | -8.6% | 7,257 | 15.9% |
Source: Omdia PC Horizon Service (sell-in shipments), April, July and August 2026 releases
What does IDC count for Apple in Q2 2026?
IDC counted 6.7 million Mac shipments in Q2 2026, up 10.1% from 6.1 million, for a 9.9% share of a 68.2 million-unit market. Its release does not list Chromebooks separately.
The two trackers publish different totals for the same quarter: 65.67 million units for Omdia and 68.2 million for IDC.
Source: IDC Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker, July 8, 2026
Chromebook vs MacBook Market Share by Desktop Pageviews
StatCounter measures share of sampled desktop pageviews, not devices or users. It reports Apple’s desktop OS on two lines, macOS and OS X, so both appear here.
Worldwide in August 2026, Chrome OS recorded 1.53% of desktop pageviews. macOS recorded 15.31% and OS X 11.6%.
Sweden is the exception. Chrome OS reached 15.34% there, against 9.22% for macOS and 10.39% for OS X.
Japan sits at the other end, with Chrome OS at 0.42%, macOS at 5.14% and OS X at 11.62%. These desktop OS splits by country cover more markets.
In the United States, Chrome OS took 2.92%, macOS 8.04% and OS X 17.6%.
| Region | Windows | macOS | OS X | Linux | Chrome OS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | 62.67% | 15.31% | 11.6% | 8.88% | 1.53% |
| United States | 53.25% | 8.04% | 17.6% | 18.19% | 2.92% |
| Sweden | 60.7% | 9.22% | 10.39% | 4.34% | 15.34% |
| Japan | 75.04% | 5.14% | 11.62% | 7.78% | 0.42% |
Source: StatCounter Global Stats, desktop operating system market share, August 2026
Does the MacBook Neo Compete With Chromebooks on Price?
Apple announced the MacBook Neo on March 4, 2026, at $599 with 256GB of storage and an A18 Pro chip. Education buyers could get it from $499.
On June 25, 2026, Apple raised the 256GB model to $699 and the 512GB Touch ID model to $799, citing memory chip costs, as MacRumors reported.
| MacBook Neo configuration (US) | Launch price, March 4, 2026 | Price from June 25, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 256GB, Magic Keyboard | $599 | $699 |
| 512GB, Magic Keyboard with Touch ID | $699 | $799 |
| Education, 256GB | $499 | Not stated in coverage reviewed |
Source: Apple Newsroom and MacRumors, March 4, 2026 and June 25, 2026
Omdia forecasts PCs under $500 to fall 28% to around 62.1 million units in 2026. PCs at $900 and above may hold modest growth.
Omdia’s April 2026 release put DRAM and storage bill-of-materials increases at $122 to $237 between Q1 2025 and Q2 2026. Recent Chromebook selling price data shows how those costs reach ChromeOS devices.
Across comparable product lines, Omdia found PC prices up about 20% to 40% year on year in Q2 2026.
Source: Omdia, March, April and July 2026 releases
Mac Revenue Reached $10.352 Billion in the June 2026 Quarter
Apple reported Mac net sales of $10.352 billion for the three months ended June 27, 2026, up 29% from $8.046 billion a year earlier.
| Period | Mac net sales, 2026 | Mac net sales, 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Three months ended June | $10,352M | $8,046M | 29% |
| Nine months ended June | $27,137M | $24,982M | 9% |
Source: Apple Inc. Form 10-Q, quarter ended June 27, 2026
No matching ChromeOS revenue line appears in these datasets. Omdia’s Chromebook releases publish units and vendor shares only.
Japan’s GIGA School Program: Chromebook vs MacBook Market Share in Classrooms
MM Research Institute’s July 2025 survey covered 6.21 million devices reported by 1,174 municipalities. ChromeOS took 60% of phase-two student devices, iPadOS 31% and Windows 10%.
macOS is not among the listed operating systems, so Apple appears only through iPadOS. The broader iPad versus Chromebook split in schools follows the same pattern outside Japan.
Phase-one shares were 42% ChromeOS, 29% iPadOS and 29% Windows. MM Research notes that phase one combines several 2021 to 2023 surveys, so the two phases are not strictly the same study.
Average phase-two unit prices were ¥54,000 for ChromeOS, ¥55,000 for Windows and ¥57,000 for iPadOS. Wider ChromeOS classroom share statistics put these tenders in a global context.
| Operating system | Phase 2 share | Phase 1 share | Phase 2 average unit price |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChromeOS | 60% | 42% | ¥54,000 |
| iPadOS | 31% | 29% | ¥57,000 |
| Windows | 10% | 29% | ¥55,000 |
Source: MM Research Institute, GIGA School phase two ICT survey, July 2025
Omdia linked Lenovo’s Q2 2026 Chromebook decline to the completion of the first phase of GIGA 2.0, where Lenovo was the primary supplier.
FAQs
Do Chromebooks outsell MacBooks in 2026?
No, by Omdia’s count. Apple shipped 7.257 million PCs in Q2 2026 against 5.415 million Chromebooks, and Omdia forecasts 26.401 million macOS devices versus 13.99 million ChromeOS devices for 2026. Apple’s figures include desktop Macs.
Is Chromebook market share declining?
Yes. Omdia forecasts ChromeOS falling from 6.9% of PC shipments in 2025 to 5.7% in 2026, a 27.6% unit decline. Chromebook shipments fell 11.5% in Q1 2026 and 8.6% in Q2 2026.
Is Apple gaining PC market share?
In Q2 2026, both trackers showed gains. Omdia put Apple at 11.1% of shipments, up from 9.2%. IDC put Apple at 9.9%, up from 8.5%, with Mac shipments up 10.1%.
How much does the MacBook Neo cost now?
The 256GB MacBook Neo has started at $699 in the US since June 25, 2026, up from $599 at launch. The 512GB Touch ID model rose from $699 to $799.
Do Reddit claims that the MacBook Neo is killing Chromebooks match the data?
Only the timing lines up. Omdia recorded Apple PCs up 15.9% and Chromebooks down 8.6% in Q2 2026, but attributes the Chromebook fall to low profitability, a high 2025 base and delayed deployments.
Sources
https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/desktop/worldwide
https://www.aboutchromebooks.com/chromebook-average-selling-price-statistics
