Global PC sales decline in Q2 2026, marking the first drop after nine quarters of growth
Global PC shipments have registered their first decline in over two years, breaking a nine-quarter streak of consistent growth.
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The brief
Global PC sales dropped during the second quarter of 2026. This marks the first contraction for the market since the first quarter of 2025. While the broader market experienced a slump, Apple remained an outlier, with coverage noting that the MacBook Neo helped the company avoid the downward trend.
Reports from Windows Central and Counterpoint Research highlight that a memory shortage is exerting pressure on consumers and stalling the industry's recovery. Additional coverage from Tech Times and Electronics Weekly points to a combination of factors influencing end markets, including the prioritization of AI chip imports over consumer hardware, alongside impacts from tariffs and geopolitical conditions. Future developments hinge on the evolution of the global memory supply chain and the persistence of trade-related restrictions.
Coverage does not yet specify how long the current component shortage is expected to last or whether subsequent quarters will see a return to growth.
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Quick answers
How long had the PC market been growing before this decline?
The market had experienced nine consecutive quarters of growth prior to this drop.
Did all computer manufacturers see a decline in sales?
No, coverage indicates that Apple defied the global slump due to the performance of the MacBook Neo.
What is impacting the availability of PCs?
The market is being affected by memory shortages, tariff-related pressures, and a shift in focus toward AI chip imports.
Coverage (5)
- AI Chip Imports Eclipse PC and Phone Shipments as Memory Shortage Squeezes Consumers Tech Times · 23h ago
- Politics, shortages, tariffs and AI skew end markets Electronics Weekly · 23h ago
- Memory Crunch Ends PC Recovery as Global Shipments Decline for First Time Since Q1 2025 Counterpoint Research · 23h ago
- Apple defied a global PC sales slump in Q2 2026 thanks to MacBook Neo AppleInsider · 23h ago
- Global PC sales decline in Q2 2026, marking the first drop after nine quarters of growth Windows Central · 23h ago broke it first
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