**Global PC Market Faces Challenges Amid Rising Costs and Delayed Demand**
The global personal computer (PC) market has experienced a notable decline in shipments during the second quarter of 2026, with a year-on-year decrease of 3.6%. According to research conducted by Omdia, a total of 65.7 million units, including desktops, notebooks, and workstations, were shipped during this period. This downturn reflects the ongoing challenges posed by rising memory and storage costs, which have significantly affected pricing and consumer purchasing behavior.
The desktop segment, which encompasses both traditional desktops and workstations, saw shipments reach 13.9 million units, marking a 1.3% decline compared to the same quarter last year. Meanwhile, notebook shipments, including mobile workstations, totaled 51.7 million units, experiencing a more pronounced drop of 4.2%. These declines are attributed to a sharp increase in component prices, particularly memory and storage, which have pushed up the overall cost of PCs and influenced buying decisions among consumers and businesses alike.
Ben Yeh, Principal Analyst at Omdia, noted that the substantial rise in memory and storage prices during the first quarter had a cascading effect on product pricing in the subsequent quarter. Many consumers and IT decision-makers opted to expedite their PC purchases in an effort to mitigate the risk of further price increases. Despite maintaining stable sales volumes, Yeh cautioned that the market may face a downturn in demand later in the year.
One of the most closely monitored developments in the market has been Apple’s decision to raise prices on its MacBook line, a move that followed similar price increases by other manufacturers towards the end of 2025. Across comparable product ranges, prices have surged by approximately 20% to 40% compared to the previous year, as companies strive to absorb the escalating costs of components.
The initial rush to purchase PCs in the first half of the year has raised concerns about potential demand weakness in the latter half of 2026. Ishan Dutt, Research Director at Omdia, indicated that signals are emerging of a period of delayed demand as the implications of the supply crunch become more apparent. A survey conducted in June revealed that over half of business-to-business channel partners reported that their customers were postponing hardware refresh plans until market conditions stabilize. Additionally, 6% of respondents indicated that outright cancellations of planned purchases were likely.
This situation is further complicated as businesses approach the one-year mark since the end-of-support deadline for Windows 10 in October 2025, leaving many commercial computer fleets in need of upgrades. While Omdia forecasts a slowdown in the pace of memory and storage cost increases during the second half of 2026, it is anticipated that PC prices will continue to reflect the elevated component costs that emerged in the second quarter. The research suggests that neither memory nor storage prices are expected to decline throughout 2026, and other components, such as multilayer ceramic capacitors and printed circuit boards, are also seeing price increases, adding further pressure on manufacturers.
As a result, PC companies are likely to continue passing these higher costs onto consumers, which could further dampen demand in the latter half of the year.
In terms of market share, Lenovo maintained its position as the world’s largest PC manufacturer, shipping 16.6 million units and holding a 25% market share, despite a modest 2% annual decline in shipments. HP ranked second with 13 million units shipped, experiencing a more significant 9% drop compared to the same quarter in 2025. Dell secured the third position, showing resilience amid supply constraints with shipments of 9.3 million units, representing a 14% market share.
Apple emerged as the standout performer among leading PC manufacturers, shipping 7.3 million units following the launch of the MacBook Neo and benefiting from sustained underlying demand. The company increased its market share by two percentage points compared to the second quarter of the previous year. Asus rounded out the top five rankings with 5 million units shipped, showing performance that remained largely unchanged from the previous year.
The latest figures underscore the mounting challenges facing the PC industry as manufacturers strive to navigate the complexities of rising production costs, cautious consumer sentiment, and the imperative to maintain upgrade cycles within businesses. As the market adapts to these pressures, the outlook for the remainder of 2026 remains uncertain, with the potential for further shifts in demand and pricing dynamics.