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Global PC shipments rose 3.2% year over year to 64.8 million units in the first quarter of 2026, according to Omdia. But the increase does not necessarily signal a lasting recovery: orders were pulled forward ahead of expected component-cost increases, and Omdia’s outlook pointed to a much weaker market later in the year. The pressure is greatest on lower-priced PCs, where there is less room to absorb higher memory and storage costs.
What happened to PC shipments in early 2026?
Omdia’s April 2026 global shipment release counted desktops, notebooks, and workstations together. Shipments reached 64.8 million units in 1Q26, up 3.2% from a year earlier. Notebooks accounted for 50.8 million units and desktops 14.0 million.
Omdia attributed the growth to several factors: channel partners ordering ahead of anticipated component-cost increases, budgets for replacing Windows 10 PCs, and an unusually busy spring product-launch season. Those factors can bring purchases forward rather than create new demand, so a stronger quarter does not guarantee continued growth.
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Why does Omdia expect a weaker market later in 2026?
In its March 2026 global outlook, Omdia forecast 245 million PC shipments for the full year, a 12% decline. It expected memory and storage prices to rise by at least 60% in 1Q26, with further increases from Q2. Omdia also said mainstream memory and storage configurations had already risen by US$90–US$165 since 1Q25.
Higher component costs affect both what manufacturers pay and which products they choose to make. Omdia’s April release said those costs could squeeze vendor margins and be passed along the supply chain to channel partners and customers. The result can be more expensive PCs, fewer lower-cost configurations, or both.
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The March outlook singled out Windows PCs, which it said accounted for 83% of shipments, for a forecast 12% decline in 2026 as memory and storage constraints weighed on the platform. That is Omdia’s forecast, not a final count of full-year shipments.
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Sub-US$500 PCs face the sharpest forecast decline
Omdia’s March global outlook forecast shipments of PCs priced below US$500 to fall 28% in 2026, to about 62.1 million units. Entry-level buyers are more exposed because a component-cost increase takes up a larger share of a low-priced system’s total cost. Vendors also have less margin to absorb the increase without changing the price or specification.
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The US data showed a related weakness: Omdia reported that US shipments below US$500 fell 18.7% year over year in 1Q26. That is a shipment decline for one US price band in one quarter; it is not a measure of the change in every budget PC’s retail price.
Higher-priced systems may hold up better, but are not insulated
Omdia’s March outlook expected PCs priced at US$900 and above to maintain modest growth. Buyers with essential purchasing needs and vendors with more room in product margins may be better able to absorb higher component costs. This is a relative resilience forecast, not a guarantee that premium PC prices will stay flat.
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In its US 2Q26 release, Omdia reported that average sell-in prices exceeded US$1,000 for the first time, rising 12.0%. US shipments priced above US$1,500 increased 36.8%, while those below US$699 fell 6.5%. These figures describe the mix of shipments and average prices paid by vendors’ direct customers, not the retail price of every PC or a forecast of what an individual shopper will pay.
What do the US figures say about the timing of the slowdown?
Omdia’s US releases show how a brief return to growth can coexist with a weak full-year outlook. After the 1Q26 decline, US shipments rose 1.0% year over year to 18.8 million in 2Q26. Omdia’s later US outlook nevertheless forecast a 10.7% full-year decline and an 18.4% decline in the second half. In its earlier US outlook, Omdia had forecast a 14.4% decline for the full year; the later forecast is a revised outlook, not an additional decline to add to the earlier one.
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Omdia said US market revenue grew 13.1% in 2Q26 even as shipment growth was limited, attributing the revenue result to manufacturers prioritizing higher-margin, higher-cost PCs amid component constraints. Average sell-in prices rose 19.0% for business PCs and 9.7% for consumer PCs in that quarter. Together, these results point to a market selling a costlier mix of systems, not broad-based volume growth.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Should you buy a PC before prices rise?
Omdia’s shipment and pricing outlooks indicate risk of higher prices and fewer inexpensive options, but they do not establish that every PC will become more expensive by a particular amount or on a fixed schedule. The data also do not identify a best model or show that every buyer should purchase immediately. A practical decision depends on whether you need a computer now, what your current machine can do, and whether you can find a system that meets your requirements at an acceptable price.
- If your current PC is failing or cannot handle essential work: compare suitable systems now rather than relying on a particular future price. Check the total configuration, including memory and storage, because a lower starting price may reflect a less capable specification.
- If your computer still meets your needs: delaying a purchase avoids buying solely on a forecast. Keep in mind that Omdia expects the market to face further component-cost pressure; its data cannot tell you exactly when a particular retailer’s price or inventory will change.
- If you need a low-cost system: compare the full set of requirements against the available memory, storage, and other specifications. The below-US$500 shipment declines show that this tier is under pressure, but they do not prove that every budget model is a poor value.
- If you are considering a repair or upgrade instead: check your exact computer’s documentation for compatible RAM or storage before buying parts. Compatibility varies by model, and the shipment data do not establish whether an upgrade is possible or worthwhile for your machine.
What the shipment figures can—and cannot—tell you
Shipment statistics count PCs moving through the market; they are not the same as retail sales to consumers, retail prices, or the number of computers in use. Sell-in prices are also not one-to-one measures of what shoppers pay at checkout. Omdia’s releases provide a market outlook and reported shipment, revenue, and price trends, but they cannot predict the price or availability of a specific model at a particular store.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
