Worldwide PC Shipments Increased 4 Percent in Q1 2026: Gartner
According to preliminary results by Gartner, worldwide PC shipments totalled 62.8 million units in the first quarter of 2026, a 4 percent increase from the first quarter of 2025.
"The 4 percent year-over-year PC shipment growth in the first quarter of 2026 was artificially inflated," said Rishi Padhi, Research Principal, Gartner. "It was not due to genuine demand, but instead because of vendors' and channel distributors' increase of inventory levels ahead of expected price hikes in the second quarter of 2026 driven by rapidly rising memory price inflation (memflation), as well as DRAM and NAND flash component costs. This is especially true for lower-margin products."
The growth exhibited in the first quarter of 2026 is also relative to a high first quarter in 2025, which was already inflated due to front-loading ahead of U.S. tariffs.
"Apple grew 12.7 percent year-over-year, which was the largest jump among the major vendors and resulted in a 0.8 percent increase in market share," said Padhi. "This performance was primarily driven by robust demand for the MacBook Neo, particularly among new Mac users and buyers in the education sector. This strategic positioning enabled Apple to attract cost-conscious consumers seeking high-performance devices, further solidifying its competitive advantage in the segment."
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