Apple M2 chip threatens Windows market share

The M1 chip has helped Apple's computer business thrive, and the newly released M2 version could directly threaten the Windows device market.

The M2 chip, introduced by Apple at the WWDC 2022 event on June 6, is manufactured on the second generation 5 nm process with 20 billion transistors, 25% more than the M1 . The controller provides 100 GB/s unified memory bandwidth, which is 50% more.

M2 chip size compared to M1 chip. Photo: Apple

Gartner analyst Mikako Kitagawa said that Apple can continue to gain large market share thanks to the M2 chip. According to estimates, in 2021, Apple holds 7.9% of total PC shipments globally, while Windows device manufacturers control 81.8%. Analysts say that the MacOS market share could increase to 10.7% by 2026 and Windows to decrease to 80.5% when new generations of chips such as Apple M2 are born.

Kitagawa said that Apple's Mac business is reviving thanks to new devices that use "homegrown" chips instead of Intel processors. In 2021, Apple will launch a series of computers using M1 chips such as MacBook Air, iMac, Mac Mini, MacBook Pro and Mac Studio, with longer battery life than models using Intel chips.

Apple's Mac business grew 23% in fiscal 2021, to more than $35 billion in revenue. In the third quarter of 2021, Mac sales increased more than 14%, the highest in the company's hardware device category.

This impressive number is good news for Apple but bad news for Microsoft. The majority of Microsoft's Windows revenue comes from licenses it sells to Dell, HP, Lenovo, and other device makers. This revenue represents about 7.5% of Microsoft's total revenue and nearly 11% of the company's total profit, said Morgan Stanley analyst Keith Weiss.

According to Brad Brooks, CEO of cybersecurity company Censys and former Vice President of Microsoft's Windows consumer business, when Microsoft loses market share, "a lot of price control will be affected." During his nine years at Microsoft, he learned that there is a positive correlation between personal consumer device choice and the office environment.

"When someone starts using a device in their home environment, they are more likely to adopt it in their professional work environment," he said of public leaders' choice to buy technology equipment. company.

Brooks said he switched to using a Mac as his primary computer in 2017 and plans to upgrade to a new model with an M2 chip. All 150 of his company's employees also use Macs as their primary computers.

Previously, businesses were afraid to choose Apple's M1 computer because they were worried that office applications would not be compatible. However, Adobe, Microsoft, and other developers have been tweaking to bring smooth experiences to MacBook users in recent years.

Patrick Moorhead, CEO of research firm Moor Insights and Strategy, Apple still has an unused card: the MacBook SE. The company will probably sell a cheap MacBook from 800-900 USD (MacBook Air M2 costs from 1,199 USD). This is how Apple did with the iPhone SE and achieved much success, reaching the general audience.

"A low-priced MacBook SE will disrupt both the PC market, and the Windows world will suffer the same impact Android smartphones had when Apple introduced the iPhone SE," Moorhead said.