Computers Unlikely to Sell in 2026, Traders Face Difficulties as Laptop Sales Struggle
The global personal computer (PC) and laptop industry is experiencing a decline. After recording a growth trend for nine consecutive quarters, the PC market has officially ended its rally and entered a downturn.
A recent report from market research firm International Data Corporation (IDC) reveals that global PC shipments in Q2-2ability 2026 plummeted by 4.9% year-on-year to just 68.2 million units. The primary driver is the wave of global memory chip shortages triggered by the massive explosion in Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology adoption. This situation is further exacerbated by geopolitical uncertainties shaking the global economy.
IDC Consumer Devices Research Director, Jitesh Ubrani, highlighted a mismatch between sales volume and the revenue earned by the industry. “The core issue is the misalignment between unit volume and revenue value. Shipment volumes are decreasing, yet revenue is actually increasing because vendors are implementing price hikes faster than the rate of declining demand,” Ubrani explained, quoting FoneArena.
Memory Chip Crisis Expected to Last Until 2028
IDC projects that this memory chip shortage storm will not subside in the near future and is expected to continue until early 2028. Gloomy macroeconomic conditions, combined with anticipatory measures by distributors to secure supplies (inventory pull-forward), risk triggering further losses in the second half of 2026. Some manufacturers are reportedly preparing to raise the selling prices of PC and laptop products again in 2027.
On the other hand, this component shortage is accelerating consolidation among vendors. Tech giants with deep pockets, such as Apple, Dell, and Lenovo, are leveraging their economies of scale to secure memory stocks, further squeezing the operating space of smaller manufacturers. “Large manufacturers with high purchasing power and strong supply chain networks are in a more advantageous position than their smaller competitors,” said IDC Consumer Devices VP, Jean Philippe Bouchard.
Apple and Asus Survive, Three Other Giants Decline
Although the overall market is declining, the performance of the top five PC manufacturers shows significant disparity. Of the top five players, only Apple and Asus managed to achieve positive growth. Apple recorded a significant shipment jump of 10.1% year-on-year to 6.7 million units, solidifying its fourth-place position. Meanwhile, Asus grew slightly by 0.2% year-on-year with total shipments of 5.0 million units.
In contrast, three market giants—Lenovo, HP Inc., and Dell—saw their shipments erode. The following represents the market share and global PC shipment performance for Q2-2026 based on IDC data.