Apple shipped over half of all AI-capable PCs in 2024

With AI on the rise, the tech is steadily making its way into the average home. Part of this growth is due to the rise of AI-capable personal devices, such as smartphones and PCs. Apple appears to be leading the charge in this market, and by a wide margin.

According to a new report from Canalys, a market analysis group, Apple shipped more than half of all "AI-capable PCs," which are defined as personal computers with hardware dedicated for AI tasks, such as a neural processing unit (or NPU). In total, 17% of PCs shipped in 2024 met this definition, and of those, Apple shipped 54%. 

The Cupertino colossus was by far the leader in this market segment. The number two and three spots were given to Lenovo and HP, which each shipped 12% of all AI-capable PCs in 2024. 

The big driver for Apple's success is most likely its new M4 processor and the integration of Apple Intelligence into most of Apple's newer laptops (like the M4 Mac Mini, available on Amazon for $549). Apple has technically supported AI with on-chip neural processors since the A11 Bionic SoC found in the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X, which were released back in 2017. All of Apple's processors released since then have had some sort of neural engine, but Apple's AI push has vaulted the tech in front of mainstream consumers. 

Windows laptops have somewhat lagged behind in this area. Microsoft's Copilot PCs haven't sold quite as well as initially hoped, largely because of controversies surrounding Copilot (such as its Recall feature, which would automatically take snapshots of a PC's state and make these easily accessible).

Overall, the AI PC market segment is steadily growing. Year over year, this category grew 18% between 2023 and 2024. As AI becomes further ingrained in our personal devices, and the hardware needed to run it becomes cheaper, we can expect to see continued growth for AI PCs.