Global Pc Shipments Fall 21% As Higher Prices Weigh On Demand
Counterpoint reports a sharp third-quarter drop in PC shipments and forecasts another steep decline in the final quarter of 2026.
Global PC shipments fell 21% year over year in the third quarter of 2026, according to Counterpoint Research figures reported by The Verge and Engadget. Higher component costs have pushed up computer prices and weakened demand, while an unusually strong third quarter last year made the comparison more severe.
Table of Contents
Shipments fall after a long stretch of growth
Engadget reports that manufacturers shipped 57 million PCs during the quarter, down from more than 70 million a year earlier. Counterpoint also measured a 13.8% decline from the second quarter of 2026, according to Engadget.
The Verge says the drop ended more than two years of shipment growth that lasted through the second quarter of 2026. It also notes that the year-earlier quarter benefited from purchases ahead of the Windows 10 support deadline and inventory adjustments related to tariffs. Those factors raised the comparison point for this year’s results.
Other market researchers have reported a similar downturn, although their figures differ. The Verge says IDC and Omdia had previously identified a decline. Engadget cites IDC’s estimate of a 20.1% year-over-year fall, compared with Counterpoint’s 21% figure.
Component costs squeeze buyers and vendors
Counterpoint links the slowdown to rising prices for memory and other PC components. The Verge reports that RAM, SSDs and chips from Intel, AMD and Qualcomm have become more expensive in recent months, contributing to higher prices for devices including MacBooks and Raspberry Pis. Engadget also points to tariffs as a source of price pressure.
Counterpoint senior analyst Minsoo Kang said, as reported by Engadget, that higher system prices are leading consumers to postpone replacement purchases. The Verge reports that some companies are emphasizing configurations better able to absorb component inflation, potentially leaving fewer lower-cost choices. It says others are turning to older technology, including DDR4 RAM and 4GB GPUs, to limit price increases.
The decline has not been even across major vendors. Engadget reports that Lenovo remained the market leader despite a 23% year-over-year shipment drop. HP fell 31% and Dell 25%, while Apple declined 11% and ASUS 7%. Engadget suggests Apple’s smaller decline may be connected to the lower-priced MacBook Neo; its share of the overall market rose during the quarter.
Little near-term improvement expected
Counterpoint forecasts that global PC shipments will fall 27% year over year in the fourth quarter of 2026 and remain broadly flat in 2027, according to The Verge. That outlook gives PC buyers little reason to expect a quick return to the shipment levels seen before this quarter’s downturn.
Sources
This story was compiled by AI from the reports below. Read the originals for the full details.