- Global PC shipments increased in the second quarter of 2025, but the reason is not consumer confidence
- The imminent end of Windows 10 is forcing companies to urgent PC update cycles
- Consumer spending on personal devices stagnated, with probably delayed updates in 2026
The world PC market saw shipments in the second quarter of 2025, but growth seems more linked to short -term commercial updates and software deadlines than to the renewed demand of consumers.
The new Canalys figures claim global shipments of desks, notebooks and work station PC rose 7.4% year -on -year to reach 67.6 million units.
However, the story behind this growth reveals a market in more form of the life cycles of the operating system and commercial policy than by the buyer’s confidence.
Temporary drivers behind the increase
The analysts’ firm mainly believes that the end of life deadline of Windows 10 that is approaching in October 2025 is the main factor that drives this increase.
“Despite the global uncertainty, the end -of -support deadline for Windows 10 in October is providing essential market stability, but is affecting the segments of consumers and commercials differently,” said Kieren Jessop, Canals Research Manager.
Business PC implementations have gained impulse, while consumer demand has stagnated, since many people seem doubts to spend in a broader economic volatility, which carries personal device updates to 2026.
That delay could later coincide with the retirement of many devices of the Pandemia era, establishing a potential consumer increase next year.
“The commercial update cycle is providing a vital impulse for the market,” said Jessop, pointing out a recent survey that found that more than half of the channel members expect their PC business to grow in the second half of 2025, with almost a third of a projected growth of more than 10%.
This emphasis on the updates of the laptop and the business desk, instead of the organic consumer demand, suggests that the profits may not be sustainable beyond the deadline of Windows 10.
The panorama of the suppliers shows that Lenovo retained the upper position with 17.0 million units sent, 15.2% more than the previous year.
HP continued with 14.1 million units, marking a modest increase of 3.2%, while Dell saw a 3.0%decrease.
Apple published the strongest growth, 21.3% to 6.4 million units, and Asus was not far behind with an increase of 18.4%.
A 9% increase in desktop shipments and a 7% increase in notebooks, including workstation PCs, also helped increase the market.
In addition to Windows 10 and the commercial update cycle, the growing tension surrounding global commercial policy, particularly that involves US tariffs, is remodeling the PC supply chain.
“The evolutionary tariff policies of the Trump administration continue to remodel the global PC supply chains while launching the uncertainty about market recovery,” said Ben Yeh, a main analyst at Canalys.
Yeh warned that although the PCs remain exempt from tariffs for now, the situation is cloudy.
“What began as the direct avoidance of China has become a complex regulatory maze.”
With the commercial agreement of the United States and Vietnam that introduces new tariffs, 20% in Vietnamese goods and up to 40% in the articles considered transforded, manufacturers can find changes in the supply chain are no longer a viable way to manage cost pressures.
In general, while the numbers look strong, the underlying drivers of this growth are temporary and largely depend on a fixed software life cycle and fragile trade agreements.
