Global personal computer shipments experienced a significant contraction during the third quarter, with multiple analysts documenting double-digit percentage declines compared to the prior year period. Omdia reported a 21.2 percent year-over-year drop to 58.1 million devices, while IDC measured a 20.1 percent decline to 62.7 million units. Both figures represented the most severe contraction for a third quarter on record, and notably bucked the typical seasonal pattern wherein Q3 shipments usually exceed Q2 volumes.
Desktop and laptop segments both registered substantial losses. Desktop PC shipments, including workstations, fell 23.5 percent to 11.7 million units, while laptop shipments declined 20.6 percent to 46.4 million units, according to Omdia data. IDC characterized the Q3 performance as particularly unusual given that third-quarter results historically outpace second-quarter figures.
Analysts attributed the downturn to a convergence of supply and demand factors. Inventory management challenges emerged as vendors and retail channels had stocked up earlier in the year anticipating memory price increases, leaving minimal demand for Q3. Simultaneously, component scarcity and elevated costs fundamentally reshaped the market. Since 2025, competition for high-bandwidth memory and server DRAM used in artificial intelligence applications has constrained manufacturing capacity for consumer devices, driving memory and storage costs to represent nearly 40 percent of PC manufacturing expenses compared to a historical norm of 15 percent. This dynamic has pushed PC pricing up more than fourfold.
Industry forecasts suggested sustained weakness ahead. Omdia projected a 24 percent year-over-year decline in the subsequent quarter followed by a 7 percent contraction in 2027. Sector executives from major memory manufacturers indicated component shortages could persist through 2028, with ongoing price pressures expected to restrain demand alongside broader macroeconomic headwinds.
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