IT Home, October 13: According to data released by International Data Corporation (IDC), global PC shipments in the third quarter of 2026 amounted to 62.7 million units, a 20.1% year-over-year decline.
IDC stated that this marks the second consecutive quarter of decline, with a drop significantly larger than the 3.8% recorded in Q2. On a sequential basis, shipments in Q3 also fell by 9.1%, breaking the typical seasonal pattern of stronger performance in Q3 compared to Q2. Supply has yet to recover, and prior to the price increase earlier this year, manufacturers and distributors rushed to stock up, exhausting demand ahead of time. As a result, very little demand remained to be released in Q3. This quarter, distributors were primarily focused on clearing the inventory accumulated from heavy purchases in the previous quarter. Consequently, Q3 shipments did not experience the usual seasonal uptick.
IDC stated that ongoing supply constraints have limited manufacturers' shipping capacity, while pre-purchasing earlier in the year has depleted second-half demand. Manufacturers and distributors made purchases ahead of price increases, boosting first-quarter shipments and leading to insufficient demand in the third quarter. As a result, seasonal patterns have been disrupted: typically, the third quarter exceeds the second, but this year it fell below it.
Meanwhile, distributors' concerns about weak demand amid high inventory and elevated prices may prompt them to launch promotions in the short term, but prices will remain significantly higher than a year ago. Greater risks stem from the macroeconomic environment: conditions have deteriorated since last quarter, and a weak economic backdrop could further suppress demand, making the outlook for the remainder of 2026 and 2027 even less optimistic.
According to IDC data, the shipment volumes and market shares of the top five vendors this quarter are as follows:
- 联想：14.9 million units, market share of 23.8%, down 22.6% year-over-year
- HP: 10.3 million units, market share of 16.5%, down 30.9% year-over-year
- Dell: 7.6 million units, market share of 12.1%, down 25.0% year-over-year
- Apple: 5.9 million units, market share of 9.5%, down 11.3% year-over-year
- ASUS: 5.5 million units, market share of 8.7%, down 8.6% year-over-year
Among them, Lenovo, HP, and Dell all experienced declines higher than the overall market, collectively losing 4.2 percentage points of market share due to the impact of early inventory buildup earlier this year. Lenovo maintained its position as the global leader with a 23.8% market share, widening its gap with second-place HP to 7.3 percentage points, thus remaining relatively ahead during the industry’s downturn cycle.
Overall, manufacturers and distributors rushed to stock up before the price increase earlier this year, exhausting demand for the third quarter in advance. Combined with ongoing supply constraints, this quarter failed to see the usual seasonal rebound, resulting in shipments lower than both the second quarter and the same period last year.
IDC revealed that PC prices may only experience a slight and temporary decline going forward. Channel partners, concerned about high inventory levels and weak demand, might launch promotions. However, prices are expected to remain high and significantly above year-ago levels.
Reference: Jitesh Ubrani, Ryan Reith, Bryan Ma - "PC Market Struggles Continue: Shipments Decline 20.1% in Q3 2026 Amid Demand Pullback Following Prior Inventory Build-Up and Supply Shortages"