Supply Chain Pressures and Market Dynamics
According to the latest research from Omdia, global shipments of PCs, including desktops, notebooks, and workstations, grew by 3.2% in the first quarter of 2026, reaching 64.8 million units. This growth was supported by vendors and channel partners pulling orders forward ahead of expected increases in component costs.n
Desktops, including desktop workstations, saw a 5.4% increase, totaling 14.0 million units. Notebooks, which also include mobile workstations, experienced a 2.6% rise, reaching 50.8 million units. The Windows 10 replacement cycle and new product launches by Windows OEMs and Apple played significant roles in this growth.n
Market Leaders and Dynamicsn
Lenovo remained the market leader with an 8.7% increase in shipments, reaching 16.5 million units and capturing a 25.5% market share. Meanwhile, HP’s shipments declined by 4.9%, dropping to 12.1 million units.n
Dell’s shipments grew by 7.8%, amounting to 10.3 million units. Apple increased its market share to 11%, with a 5.4% growth in shipments totaling 7.1 million units. Asus achieved the highest growth rate among major vendors, with a 15.1% increase, shipping 4.6 million units.n
“With supply-chain pressures still building, Q1’s modest growth is likely to mark the high point for the year,” stated the Principal Analyst at Omdia. “Memory and storage costs are expected to rise further, squeezing PC vendor gross margins and forcing costs through to channel partners and end-customers.”n
Omdia’s regional analysis shows that North American channel partners have absorbed much of the cost increases. In Japan, the market faces a downturn due to high shipment volumes in the previous year and severe cost pressures in the education segment.n
The potential increase in CPU prices, projected to rise by 10-25% by Intel and AMD, adds pressure to the market. Vendors are advancing deliveries to protect shipments, revenue, and gross margins, as indicated by Omdia’s preliminary regional data.n
The surge driven by the education sector in 2025 has diminished, and fading policy momentum may lead to further market contraction in 2026. Therefore, challenges in cost and component supply continue to influence market dynamics.
Last updated: 9 April 2026, 11:19 pm
