Business · Companies · 3 hrs ago
Global PC shipments fell 21% in Q3 as component costs rose
Global PC shipments fell 21% in Q3 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier.
The decline affected the worldwide market, where shipments totaled 57 million units.
Counterpoint Research linked the drop to rising prices for memory and other components, which pushed up PC costs and discouraged buyers from upgrading.
The market had been growing for more than two years through Q2 2026, while purchases ahead of the Windows 10 support deadline and tariff-related inventory changes in Q3 2025 also made the year-over-year fall sharper.
Apple’s shipments fell 11% to 5.6 million, less than the overall market decline, and the MacBook Neo helped cushion the drop.
Counterpoint expects shipments to fall a further 27% in Q4 2026 and remain broadly flat in 2027, so stability would not mean a recovery.
Global PC shipments fell 21% year over year to 57 million units in Q3 2026, according to Counterpoint Research.
Counterpoint linked the decline to higher component costs, which raised PC prices and weakened demand.
Lenovo led the market with a 26.3% share, while Apple’s shipments fell less than the overall market.
Counterpoint expects shipments to plunge 27% in Q4 2026 and remain broadly flat in 2027.
- Who
- PC makers and buyers worldwide; Counterpoint Research reported the shipment figures.
- What
- Global PC shipments fell 21% year over year to 57 million units in Q3 2026.
- When
- Q3 2026.
- Where
- Global.
- Why
- Higher component prices raised PC prices and weakened demand. Purchases ahead of the Windows 10 support deadline and tariff-related inventory adjustments in Q3 2025 also contributed to the year-over-year drop.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
PC shipments had been growing for over two years, according to Counterpoint.
Global PC shipments fell 21% year over year to 57 million units.
Counterpoint expects global shipments to plunge 27%.
Counterpoint expects shipments to remain broadly flat.
- Global shipments
- 57 million units in Q3 2026
- Year-over-year change
- Down 21% in Q3 2026
- Market leader
- Lenovo, with a 26.3% share
- Apple shipments
- 5.6 million units; 9.8% market share
- DDR4 RAM prices
- 8GB module contract prices rose 24% quarter over quarter
- SSD prices
- 1TB NVMe prices rose 29% quarter over quarter
2 sources
What people are saying
prioritize configurations that can better absorb component inflation
With global shipments expected to plunge 27% in Q4 2026 and remain broadly flat in 2027, stabilization should not be mistaken for recovery.