Worldwide PC shipments reached 62.8 million units in the first quarter of 2026, a 4% increase year over year, according to the latest data from Gartner, a business and technology insights company.
The numbers suggest growth in the global PC market, but analysts say the increase does not show stronger consumer or business demand.
“The 4% year-over-year PC shipment growth in the first quarter of 2026 was artificially inflated,” said Rishi Padhi, research principal at Gartner. “It was not due to genuine demand, but instead because of vendors’ and channel distributors’ increase of inventory levels ahead of expected price hikes in the second quarter of 2026 driven by rapidly rising memory price inflation, as well as DRAM and NAND flash component costs. This is especially true for lower-margin products.”
It means that PC makers and distributors shipped more units early to avoid higher costs later, rather than responding to a surge in buyers. Increasing prices of key components such as DRAM and NAND flash memory pushed companies to stock up, inflating shipment figures for the quarter.
The comparison also comes against a strong base. The first quarter of 2025 already saw increased shipments due to early buying ahead of US tariff changes, making the latest growth look stronger than it might actually be.
Despite the mixed demand signals, the landscape among top PC vendors remained largely stable. The top four global PC brands kept their positions, while ASUS moved ahead of Acer to claim the fifth spot in worldwide rankings.
Among the top three PC makers, Lenovo and Dell gained market share during the quarter, while HP Inc. saw a slight decline. This indicates that even in a slow-demand environment, competition for market share remains active.
Apple recorded the fastest growth among major vendors.
“Apple grew 12.7% year-over-year, which was the largest jump among the major vendors and resulted in a 0.8% increase in market share,” Padhi said. “This performance was primarily driven by robust demand for the MacBook Neo, particularly among new Mac users and buyers in the education sector. This strategic positioning enabled Apple to attract cost-conscious consumers seeking high-performance devices, further solidifying its competitive advantage in the segment.”
Apple’s growth highlights a shift in buyer behavior, with more first-time users and students choosing devices that balance price and performance. The strong demand for the MacBook Neo suggests that targeted products in education and entry-level segments can still drive growth even when the broader PC market is soft.
Gartner said that the second quarter of 2026 may show a different picture. With inventory levels already built up and component prices surging, shipment growth could slow if actual end-user demand does not catch up.