Global PC sales fell in the second quarter of 2026 as higher prices made consumers and businesses think twice before buying new computers, according to market research firm Omdia.
Worldwide shipments of desktop computers, laptops, and workstations dropped 3.6% from a year ago to 65.7 million units. Laptop shipments declined 4.2% to 51.7 million units, while desktop shipments slipped 1.3% to 13.9 million units.
Omdia said the main reason was the higher cost of memory and storage chips, which pushed up PC prices. Depending on the model, computers now cost about 20% to 40% more than they did a year ago.
“The sharp increase in memory and storage prices during the first quarter of the year had a significant impact on product pricing in the second quarter,” said Ben Yeh, principal analyst at Omdia. “It also prompted consumers and IT decision makers to bring forward their PC purchases to mitigate the risk of further price increases. Although sales volumes were maintained at a stable level, the risk of a subsequent downturn remains.”
Many companies are also delaying plans to replace old computers. In Omdia’s June survey, more than half of business partners said their customers are waiting for prices to settle before buying new PCs. Another 6% said some customers may cancel their purchases altogether.
“After the pull-forward activity seen in the first half of the year, signals are now pointing to a period of delayed demand as the true impact of the supply crunch sinks in,” said Ishan Dutt, research director at Omdia.
Dutt noted that more than half of the B2B channel partners polled in Omdia’s June survey responded that their customers are putting off hardware refresh plans until the market stabilizes, with a further 6% indicating that outright cancellations were likely.
“In the coming months, as the market approaches the one-year mark from the October 2025 Windows 10 EOS deadline, a significant portion of commercial fleets will remain in need of upgrades,” Dutt said.
The report is also relevant to businesses in the Philippines that still need to replace Windows 10 computers. Omdia expects PC prices to remain high for the rest of 2026 because memory, storage, and other parts continue to cost more. That means companies may have to spend more than planned on new computers.
Lenovo remained the world’s biggest PC maker with 16.6 million units shipped, followed by HP with 13 million and Dell with 9.3 million.
Apple posted the fastest growth among the top five brands, helped by demand for the MacBook Neo. Asus rounded out the top five with 5 million units shipped.
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