Laptop crisis: Insane prices, sales slump, yet Apple thrives with MacBook Neo
The global laptop market is going through a very rough patch. Instead of the already dismal 9.2% decline as previously forecast, the latest estimates now predict a drastic 14.8% slump year-over-year – a genuine shock for the industry. Consumers are simply holding out, while component costs are spiraling out of control behind the scenes.
Anyone hoping for a quick comeback among retailers is in for a bitter disappointment. Consumers are extremely strapped for cash. High costs of living are curbing any thought of buying a new laptop. The situation is even more dire for hardware manufacturers. Memory chips are in extremely short supply, driving up system costs. Furthermore, suppliers are raising CPU prices significantly. In short, laptops are getting more and more expensive to build.
To somehow maintain profit margins, laptop brands are passing this price explosion directly on to their customers. Further price increases are already a foregone conclusion for the upcoming quarters. This results in a grim downward spiral: The more expensive laptops become, the fewer buyers they’ll find. Smaller manufacturers without pricing power and exclusive access to components may end up struggling to survive.
On top of that, the ridiculous AI hype also acts as a catalyst. With many craving maximum AI computing power, chip makers are reserving their limited production lines and packaging capacity strictly for expensive AI accelerators, leaving no room for normal entry-level processors. This brutal competition for supply not only majorly disrupts laptop makers’ cost calculations but also makes it virtually impossible to maintain reliable supply chains.
Meanwhile, Apple seems to operate in a completely different parallel universe. Thanks to its new and remarkably affordable MacBook Neo, the Cupertino-based company has managed to steer entirely clear of the downward trend. Mac sales are expected to grow by an impressive 7.7% in 2026. The secret behind Apple’s success is absolute control. The company builds its own silicon chips and doesn’t rely on external suppliers for CPUs. Manufacturers with such an iron grip on their hardware architecture can ultimately dictate their production costs and volumes. Leveraging its massive market power and clever procurement strategy, Apple is aggressively taking on the lower-cost segment, while its competitors are being forced to continue raising the prices of their Windows-based machines.
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