Gartner and IDC both put Q3 2026 global PC shipments down more than 20% year on year, at 55.4 million and 62.7 million units. IDC expects prices to hold at these levels, so refresh budgets should assume dearer machines and fewer cheap models.
Perspective Coverage
3 publishers
- Builder
- Builder 12%
- Operator
- Operator 48%
- Investor
- Investor 40%
Reality
- Evidence70
- Adoption
- Not scored
- Hype gap+12
- Incentives
- Not scored
- Confidence68
Global PC shipments fell 20.1% from a year earlier to 62.7 million units in the third quarter of 2026, IDC said. For anyone budgeting a laptop refresh, IDC expects promotions on excess channel stock but prices that stay well above year-ago levels.
Perspective Coverage
16 publishers
- Builder
- Builder 11%
- Operator
- Operator 45%
- Investor
- Investor 44%
Reality
- Evidence78
- Adoption30
- Hype gap+15
- Incentives35
- Confidence75
buildOne report1 publisher Early stockpiling drove much of the 20% third-quarter fall in PC shipments, IDC says
Global PC shipments fell 20.1% year over year in the third quarter of 2026, a drop of 15.8 million units, according to IDC. For teams planning a refresh, the memory pricing behind the fall matters more than the unit count, and IDC expects those prices to stay elevated.
Reality
- Evidence55
- Adoption
- Not scored
- Hype gap+10
- Incentives45
- Confidence55
Qualcomm signed a multi-year patent cross-license with Huawei, a deal Huawei links to more than $6.9 billion in expected licensing value. Whether a U.S. chipmaker now pays for chip designs Huawei built under sanctions depends on terms neither company has published.
Perspective Coverage
19 publishers
- Builder
- Builder 32%
- Operator
- Operator 30%
- Investor
- Investor 38%
Reality
- Evidence66
- Adoption
- Not scored
- Hype gap+50
- Incentives70
- Confidence64
HP sold 16% fewer PCs and booked 18% more revenue. That is the whole device market now.
Memory costs are moving through invoices, not absorbed. HP's implied selling prices jumped about 40% in the quarter, and Reuters reports Dell, Apple and Lenovo are raising prices too.
Reality
- Evidence62
- Adoption
- Not scored
- Hype gap+30
- Incentives45
- Confidence60