- Analyst data shows that the global PC market contracted by 3.6% during the second quarter of 2026
- The insatiable demand for memory and other AI chips is driving up costs across the board.
- Prices could continue to rise as the market continues to contract, analysts predict
All the latest data points to a worsening situation for PC makers in the coming years, with global PC shipments falling 4.9% year-over-year in the second quarter of 2026 according to IDC data, or 3.6% according to Canalys.
While the two differ in total volumes due to differences in tracking, both companies agree that the market is shrinking as a result of rising memory prices and other cost increases.
Market researchers now widely agree that AI-driven demand for memory chips could create shortages that continue for months, or even years, impacting the consumer devices segment of the market as data centers try to pay more than expected for chips.
The global PC market begins to contract
Lenovo, HP, and Dell all saw their global shipment volumes drop between 2.1% and 9% over the most recent three-month period, and Asus barely tilted toward the positives with an increase of between 0.2% and 0.9%. Apple was the only major manufacturer to see a significant increase in shipments, ranging from 10.1% to 15.9%, depending on the source.
IDC attributed its success to the launch of the MacBook Neo, however, even Apple was forced to raise prices considerably across the board after failing to absorb component cost increases with previous prices. The MacBook Neo received a $100 increase (a 14-17% increase), and MacBook Pro buyers were forced to pay an additional $300 (an 18% increase).
“Following the advance activity seen in the first half of the year, signs now point to a period of delayed demand as the true impact of the supply crunch sinks in,” wrote Omdia research director Ishan Dutt.
“Given worsening macroeconomic conditions and memory shortages that are not expected to ease until early 2028, we do not expect another round of inventory builds, pointing to a sharp slowdown in growth rates in the second half of 2026,” added IDC consumer devices research director Jitesh Ubrani.
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