Global personal computer (PC) shipments fell 21 per cent year-on-year to 57 million units in the third quarter of 2026, as rising memory and component costs pushed up prices and weakened consumer demand, according to Counterpoint Research.
Despite the market contraction, Apple and ASUS gained market share after recording smaller shipment declines than the overall industry, while Lenovo retained its position as the world’s largest PC vendor.
Counterpoint Research’s preliminary data showed that global PC shipments declined 13.8 per cent quarter-on-quarter, reflecting pressure from higher production costs and consumers delaying device replacement purchases.
The downturn also reflected a high comparison base from the third quarter of 2025, when purchases ahead of the end of Windows 10 support and tariff-related inventory adjustments supported shipment growth.
Apple’s PC shipments fell 11 per cent year-on-year to 5.6 million units, but its market share increased to 9.8 per cent from 8.7 per cent a year earlier. Counterpoint attributed the company’s relative resilience partly to the MacBook Neo.
ASUS recorded the smallest annual shipment decline among the top five PC vendors, with shipments falling 7 per cent to 5.2 million units. Its market share rose to 9.2 per cent from 7.8 per cent in the corresponding period of 2025.
The company also recorded a 19.4 per cent quarter-on-quarter increase in shipments, outperforming the broader market as demand patterns shifted towards vendors with competitive product offerings.
Lenovo maintained its market leadership with shipments of 15 million units, representing 26.3 per cent of global shipments, although its volumes declined 23 per cent year-on-year.
HP retained second place with 10.3 million units and an 18.1 per cent market share. However, its shipments dropped 31 per cent, the steepest decline among the six leading vendors tracked by Counterpoint.
Dell ranked third, shipping 7.6 million units, down 25 per cent year-on-year, with a 13.3 per cent market share. The figures indicate that relatively resilient commercial demand was insufficient to shield major vendors from the wider market downturn.
The five leading vendors, Lenovo, HP, Dell, Apple and ASUS, accounted for 76.7 per cent of global PC shipments during the quarter. Other vendors collectively shipped 13.3 million units, representing a 16 per cent annual decline.
Senior Analyst at Counterpoint Research, Minsoo Kang, said rising memory and component costs were increasing system prices and forcing consumers to postpone replacement purchases.
He added that commercial replacement cycles and the migration from Windows 10 were providing some support, but could no longer offset weakening consumer demand.
The cost pressures are also reducing the availability of affordable PC configurations as manufacturers adjust product offerings to manage higher component expenses.
Counterpoint expects global PC shipments to decline 27 per cent year-on-year in the fourth quarter of 2026. Full-year shipment volumes in 2027 are forecast to remain broadly flat compared with 2026, suggesting stabilisation at a lower level rather than a strong market recovery.
Associate Director at Counterpoint Research, David Naranjo, said rising component costs, higher system prices and longer replacement cycles were reshaping the PC industry.
He noted that manufacturers would need to balance margin protection with affordability as consumer demand weakened, adding that artificial intelligence-enabled PCs, premium displays and differentiated products could create opportunities for vendors.
For the Nigerian market, the global cost pressures could add to affordability challenges for consumers and businesses that depend on imported computers.
However, the extent of any local price impact will depend on exchange-rate movements, import costs, distributor pricing and the product mix available in the country.
