"Significant negative impact": Global PC shipments actually grew in Q1 2026, but I'm not celebrating yet — here's why

Despite what I can describe only as one of the biggest dilemmas the PC industry has ever faced, global shipments of laptops and desktops have gone up in 2026.

As hardware costs continue to rise, forcing all brands to reevaluate pricing, a new report from Counterpoint Research reveals that global PC shipments grew by 3.2% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2026.

That growth comes out to approximately 63.3 million units shipped in Q1 2026 compared to 61.4 million units in Q1 2025. As Counterpoint notes, this growth was caused by the rise of memory prices and the trailing effects of Windows 10's retirement.

ASUS, which I consider to be one of the most improved brands of late when it comes to hardware quality, saw the biggest growth at 20%. It shipped 4.8 million PCs in Q1 2026, though it remains in fifth place overall.

Lenovo, which has been the world's largest PC manufacturer for years, remains in top place with 9% growth, which comes out to 16.5 million units shipped in Q1 2026. Overall, it holds a 26% global market share.

HP remains in second place despite a 5% year-over-year decline, and Dell also holds its spot in third with a modest 8% increase. Apple's global shipments also grew by 11%, no doubt helped by the affordable MacBook Neo.

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Weren't PC sales supposed to decline in 2026?

I've been keeping tabs on PC shipments and hardware prices ever since the AI-driven RAMpocalypse really kicked off in 2025, and there have been plenty of warnings from analysts that spiking costs will crater PC sales in 2026.

Unfortunately, the growth seen in Q1 2026 isn't actually a sign that PC sales have leveled off. As I mentioned above, this is more about the lasting effects caused by panic buying and Windows 10 users upgrading to Windows 11 PCs.

It's not all bad news, at least for the big PC brands. Counterpoint suggests that a combination of Windows 10 upgrades, interest in Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 chips, and demand for AI PCs using Intel and AMD hardware will help balance growth as we head into 2027.

As noted by Senior Analyst Minsoo Kang, "the PC market's decline is likely to be less pronounced compared to other consumer electronics segments."

It's not looking good for the smaller PC brands

The five companies at the top of Counterpoint's charts ship almost 80% of the world's PCs. Counterpoint lumps other, smaller brands into the same category. Overall, this section fell by 7% year-over-year.

This data aligns with an IDC study I covered in January 2026, which warned that "smaller brands may not survive, and consumers, particularly DIY enthusiasts, may delay purchases or shift their spending to other devices or experiences."

Market growth will ultimately hinge on supply chains, says Counterpoint, as well as the ability to shift away from "low-margin models to more sustainable mid-tier and premium segments."

Windows Central's take

As someone deeply involved in the PC world, I hate to see all the negative market predictions. What's worse is the assumption that entry-level PCs will all but disappear in the next year or two.

Although I love to test the most premium hardware, the reality is that a majority of Windows users are buying in the sub-$1,000 range.

If that market completely disappears, we'll be having an entirely new conversation about how to keep your PC going even when it's far past its expiry date.

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