Shipments fall 20.1 percent in "sharpest decline" since Q1 2023

PC shipments dropped about 20% in Q3 2026, marking what analysts called the steepest decline since Q1 2023. Omdia reported global year-over-year (YoY) shipments of laptops, desktops, and workstations fell 21.2% to 58.1 million devices. Desktop PC shipments declined 23.5% to 11.7 million, while laptop shipments fell 20.6% to 46.4 million. IDC’s figures were similar: PC shipments fell 20.1% YoY to 62.7 million, versus 78.5 million in Q3 2025, and were down versus 68.2 million in Q2 2026. IDC said Q3’s decline was the largest it has recorded for any third quarter, citing inventory build-ups earlier in the year and elevated component costs. Omdia pointed to upstream price increases reaching end-market pricing and channel partners working through inventory. Memory shortages for AI-related DRAM and HBM since 2025 have also tightened capacity for consumer devices; storage and memory now near 40% of PC bill of materials versus about 15% typically.