After nine quarters of growth, or at least maintaining stability, global PC shipments have witnessed a significant negative trend in Q2 2026. Research firm International Data Corporation (IDC)’s latest PC shipments data indicates a 4.9% decline, with Apple being the only computing device maker to gain market share. IDC pegs the decline to memory chip shortage, due to a combination of factors including the West Asia conflict and investments in AI data centres hoovering up hardware inventory.
In Q2 2026, 68.2 million computing devices were shipped worldwide, down from 71.7 million shipments in the same quarter last year. While a decline was predicted, this severity in terms of percentages wasn’t expected. The outlook for coming quarters, doesn’t exactly indicate a light at the end of this tunnel.
“Given worsening macro conditions and a memory shortage that isn’t expected to ease until early 2028, we don’t expect another round of inventory pull-forward, which points to a sharp slowdown in growth rates in the second half of 2026. Vendors are bracing for further price hikes into 2027, and channels are already flagging concern about elevated inventory at these higher price points,” says Jitesh Ubrani, research director for consumer devices at IDC.
The decline is underlined by what can be classified as cost pressure stemming from unavailability of memory stocks, and larger PC makers buying at scale across businesses that go beyond just computing devices, which could further squeeze supply availability for competition.
“As market conditions continue to worsen, the importance of supply chain management and capabilities are increasingly important. The largest vendors, with their buying power and long-standing supplier ties, are best positioned to take share from smaller rivals,” says Jean Philippe Bouchard, vice president for consumer devices at IDC.
Lenovo leads the worldwide PC shipment stakes with 16.6 million units shopped in Q2 2026, with a market share of 24.4% — though that’s an overall 2.1% decline in actual shipments, Lenovo’s market share has gone up from 23.7% in Q2 2025. HP sees a 9% decline in overall shipments at 13 million units compared with 14.3 million in the same period last year, and also sees market share decline to 19.1% from 19.9%.
Apple is the only brand to have registered a significant positive growth. With 6.7 million Macs shipped, it clocked a market share of 9.9%. This means an upward trajectory from 6.1 million units shipped in the corresponding quarter last year, and a market share increase from 8.5%.
“Apple’s share gain coincided with its latest product launch, the MacBook Neo, and while the company did raise prices in line with the broader market, it still remains well positioned against rivals facing the same cost pressures,” says Bouchard.
