Computers Unsold: Traders Face Grim Prospects as Laptop Sales Decline
The global computer industry is under heavy pressure following a memory chip shortage triggered by the explosion in Artificial Intelligence (AI) adoption. According to the latest report from research firm IDC, global personal computer (PC) shipments plummeted by 4.9% year-on-year in the second quarter (Q2) of 2026, falling to 68.2 million units.
This decline has broken a positive trend in the PC market that had previously recorded growth for nine consecutive quarters. In addition to the surge in component prices due to the memory chip crisis, market sluggishness is being exacerbated by geopolitical issues shaking the global economy.
“The core issue here 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,” said Jitesh Ubrani, Research Director for Consumer Devices at IDC, as reported by FoneArena on Tuesday (1/9/2026).
Ubrani predicts that the memory chip shortage will not subside in the near future and is expected to only ease by early 2028. Worsening macroeconomic conditions and inventory drawdown cycles could trigger a sharp slowdown in industry growth rates during the second half of 2026.
As a precautionary measure, PC manufacturers—including laptop producers—are preparing to raise product selling prices next year. Meanwhile, distributors are becoming increasingly concerned about high levels of inventory accumulation, particularly for higher-priced product lines.
IDC assesses that this sustained cost pressure is predicted to affect the PC refresh cycle more broadly. Although consumer interest in on-device AI processing is at an all-time high, the rising costs of cloud computing and physical components present a significant obstacle.
This complex situation is also accelerating consolidation among vendors. Giant brands such as Apple, Dell, and Lenovo are leveraging their massive operational scale across various business lines—including the mobile and server markets—to secure increasingly scarce memory chip supplies, while simultaneously putting pressure on smaller industry players.
“As market conditions continue to deteriorate, supply chain management becomes increasingly crucial. Large manufacturers with high purchasing power and strong supply chain networks are in a more advantageous position than their smaller competitors,” stated Jean Philippe Bouchard, VP of Consumer Devices at IDC.
Amidst the overall market decline, competition among the top five PC manufacturers shows unique dynamics. It was noted that only Apple and Asus were able to defy the trend and record positive growth.
The three top giants—Lenovo in first place, HP in second, and Dell in third—were forced to settle for shipping fewer products compared to the same period last year.
Meanwhile, Apple, positioned in fourth place, successfully recorded a shipment surge of 10.1% year-on-year in Q2 2026. Asus followed in fifth place with a slight growth of 0.2% year-on-year.