Apple sells 5.5M Macs in Q3 2014, destroys previous record without major product changes

In its quarterly fiscal report for the fourth quarter of 2014 released on Monday, Apple sold more than 5.5 million Macs without colorably adding to the lineup aside from yearly product refreshes and the introduction of price cuts on key devices.

The Cupertino, Calif., company reported Mac sales of 5,520,000 units for the September quarter, a major increase over its previous record-setting quarter in 2011, which saw 4.9 million Macs moved.

The huge numbers are likely a result of price cuts to key products, including $100 to $350 in savings on the popular MacBook Pro lineup in August. Prices were also slashed for the MacBook Air, which in April was priced at $899 for the first time ever.

That marks a new all-time low price point for Apple's notebooks, coinciding with a $200 price cut to the low-end iMac that brought the all-in-one's base model to $1,099.

Consumers in emerging markets have responded particularly aggressively, with Apple CFO Luca Maestri telling analysts that Mac sales grew some 46 percent in the quarter. Sales have increased so significantly that Apple's overall PC marketshare has exploded, with CEO Tim Cook adding that Mac marketshare is at its highest point since 1995.

That is borne out by data from market research firm IDC, which moved Apple into the top 5 global PC makers in its most recent report. The gain is especially impressive given that even the $899 MacBook Air is nearly $600 more expensive than the average Wintel PC.a