Global PC shipments fell 21% in Q3 as memory costs push prices up
Counterpoint expects the slump to deepen in Q4, with a 27% year-over-year drop forecast, and to continue into 2027.
Global PC shipments fell 21 percent year over year in the third quarter, according to Counterpoint, dropping from more than 70 million units a year earlier to about 57 million. The decline is also 13.8 percent lower than the previous quarter, and Counterpoint expects Q4 to be down roughly 27 percent year over year. Rising memory and component costs, driven by AI demand and tariffs, are pushing system prices up and leading buyers to delay purchases. Lenovo remains the market leader despite a 23 percent drop, HP fell 31 percent and Dell 25 percent, while Apple declined only 11 percent and gained share, helped by the budget MacBook Neo, and ASUS posted the smallest drop among major vendors at seven percent. IDC has reported similar third-quarter figures, and Counterpoint's research suggests the slump will continue into 2027.
Why it matters
The decline points to buyers holding off on new machines while component costs rise, so the pressure on the PC market is likely to persist. Apple's smaller fall and gain in share suggests that budget models can still draw buyers when prices climb, while the sharp drops at HP and Dell show how unevenly the downturn is landing across vendors. IDC's similar third-quarter figures add weight to the picture, though the drivers behind the slowdown are cost pressures rather than a sudden loss of demand for computers.
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Sources
- Engadget