Global PC market suffers steep shipment drop in Q3
Counterpoint data shows global PC shipments fell 21 percent year over year in Q3, with a further 27 percent drop forecast for Q4. Higher memory and component costs, along with tariffs, are pushing system prices up and causing buyers to postpone replacements. Lenovo remained the top vendor, while Apple's decline was smaller than those of HP and Dell.
Counterpoint's Q3 tally put worldwide PC shipments at 57 million, down from more than 70 million a year earlier—a 21% annual decline and a 13.8% sequential fall. The firm expects Q4 to be about 27% lower year over year and sees little relief in 2027.
The contraction follows strong 2025 and early 2026 demand as buyers moved ahead of rising prices. Lenovo remained the top vendor despite a 23% drop; HP fell 31%, Dell 25%, Apple 11%, and ASUS 7%.
Higher PC prices could widen the gap between buyers who can replace aging machines and those who must postpone, affecting students, remote workers, small businesses, and schools that depend on dependable hardware. A prolonged slump may also pressure vendors, retailers, and component suppliers, while consumers could face fewer promotions and longer upgrade cycles. Because the forecast points to continued weakness into 2027, the effects may be gradual rather than sudden, but they could touch everyday productivity and digital access.