- Analyst data shows that the global PC market contracted by 3.6% in the second quarter of 2026.
- 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 down 4.9% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026 according to IDC data, or down 3.6% according to Canalys.
Although the two companies differ on total volumes due to tracking differences, both companies agree that the market is shrinking due to soaring memory prices and other cost increases.
Market researchers now largely agree that AI-driven demand for memory chips could create shortages that would continue for months or even years, impacting the consumer device segment of the market as data centers attempt to pay more for the chips.
The global PC market begins to contract
Lenovo, HP and Dell all saw their global shipment volumes fall between 2.1% and 9% over the past three months, with Asus barely up, rising 0.2% to 0.9%. Apple was the only major manufacturer to see a sizable increase in shipments, ranging between 10.1 and 15.9 percent depending on the source.
IDC attributed its success to the launch of the MacBook Neo, but even Apple was forced to significantly raise prices across the board after failing to absorb the increase in component costs from previous prices. The MacBook Neo saw a $100 increase (a 14-17% increase), with MacBook Pro buyers forced to pay an extra $300 (up 18%).
“Following the surge in activity seen in the first half of the year, signals now point to a period of delayed demand as the true impact of the supply crunch is felt,” wrote Ishan Dutt, research director at Omdia.
“Given deteriorating macroeconomic conditions and a memory shortage that is not expected to ease until early 2028, we do not expect a new wave of inventory removal, which suggests a sharp slowdown in growth rates in the second half of 2026,” added Jitesh Ubrani, IDC research director for consumer devices.
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