AI Demand Caught Apple Off Guard With Macs

Apple's Mac segment quietly outperformed expectations in Q2, generating $8.4 billion in revenue against Wall Street's low $8 billion forecast, with sales up 6% year-over-year. CEO Tim Cook credited the well-received MacBook Neo launch and record numbers of first-time Mac buyers. The bigger surprise was surging demand for Mac mini and Mac Studio devices driven by local AI model usage, particularly OpenClaw. Cook admitted Apple under-predicted this trend, leaving both machines supply-constrained. Enterprise adoption is also growing, with companies like Perplexity and school districts replacing Chromebooks with Macs.