Apple Mac sales beat market expectations, helped by demand to run local AI models. TechCrunch reported on April 30 that Apple said Mac revenue in its fiscal second quarter ended March 28 came to $8.4 billion.

That was above Wall Street expectations in the low $8 billion range. Investors expected Mac revenue to be similar to the year-earlier period, but it rose 6%. Over the same period, Apple’s total revenue climbed 17% to $111.2 billion.

Mac growth also reflected the impact of the recently launched MacBook Neo. The product, however, began preorders on March 4 and did not have a long sales window within the quarter. Most units shipped between mid-March and late March, and some models sold out, raising the possibility that some demand shifted into April.

Apple CEO Tim Cook (팀 쿡) said on the earnings conference call that demand for the MacBook Neo was higher than the company expected. He said the MacBook Neo also had some impact on the quarter setting a record for new Mac customers.

Cook also said AI demand lifted Mac sales further. He said Mac mini and Mac Studio sold out in recent weeks as demand increased to run local AI models such as OpenClaw. He said demand was larger than expected as the two products were quickly recognized as suitable platforms for AI and agent-type tools. He added that Mac mini ranked No. 1 in desktop sales in China.

Cook said this demand has not yet reached a stage of full-scale expansion. Mac revenue was flat from the previous quarter. Cook said it could take months to balance supply and demand for Mac mini and Mac Studio. He also said ongoing supply constraints reflected Apple setting demand too low rather than product issues.

Corporate demand also supported Mac results. Apple said some large companies, including Perplexity, chose Macs as a preferred platform for building enterprise AI assistants. Cook said the MacBook Neo is also facing supply constraints, and that some educational institutions, such as Kansas City Public Schools, have adopted the MacBook Neo instead of Chromebooks.