Global PC shipments fell 21 per cent year on year in the third quarter of 2026, according to Counterpoint Research. The fall followed months of rising memory prices, which have pushed up the cost of new computers and put buyers off.
Key takeaways
- Counterpoint Research reports that global PC shipments fell 21 per cent year on year in the third quarter of 2026.
- The Verge notes that the Counterpoint figure is in line with earlier estimates from the research firms IDC and Omdia.
- Smartphone shipments in the same quarter fell to their lowest level in 14 years, which suggests the pressure reaches beyond PCs.
- Memory chips are needed in almost every computer and phone, so a rise in their price can push up the price of finished devices.
- A shipment figure counts devices sent into sales channels, not devices bought by consumers, so it shows demand only indirectly.
What is happening to PC shipments?
The Verge reports that, according to Counterpoint Research, global PC shipments in the third quarter of 2026 were 21 per cent lower than in the same quarter a year earlier. A fall of more than a fifth in one year is large for a mature market like personal computers. In most years, quarterly changes are much smaller.
The Verge says the Counterpoint estimate agrees with figures already published by IDC and Omdia. Analysts treat it as more reliable when several research firms reach similar conclusions on their own, because each firm uses different methods, data sources and definitions.
The decline is not limited to laptops and desktops. The same report says smartphone shipments in the third quarter reached a 14-year low. The two markets differ, but they depend on many of the same components, and memory is one of the main ones.
The coverage presents rising memory prices as the main cause. Over several months, those increases made new devices more expensive, and demand fell as a result. The publicly available summary does not give the full detail of how Counterpoint assessed the role of memory prices against other possible causes.
Why is this in the news now?
Research firms publish shipment estimates shortly after each quarter ends. Results for July to September therefore tend to appear in October. Counterpoint’s figures arrived after the IDC and Omdia estimates, and together they give a consistent picture of a sharp contraction.
Two things make the figures newsworthy. First, the size of the drop is unusual. Second, a large fall in PCs and a multi-year low in smartphones in the same quarter suggests a common cause, not a problem in one product category. Memory prices are an obvious candidate because nearly every consumer electronic device uses memory.
What background does a newcomer need?
Random access memory, or RAM, is the short-term working memory of a computer or phone. It holds the data and programs in active use. Every PC and smartphone needs it, and the amount fitted is one of the main specifications buyers compare.
Only a small number of manufacturers make memory chips, and their prices move in cycles. When supply is tight compared with demand, prices rise quickly. When factories add capacity or demand weakens, prices can fall just as quickly. Device makers usually buy memory in large volumes, often under contracts. Even so, a sustained rise in prices eventually reaches the cost of making each device.
Device makers have only a few ways to absorb higher component costs. They can accept lower profit margins, raise retail prices, or reduce specifications, for example by fitting less memory at a given price. Each choice affects demand differently. Higher prices tend to put off people who could delay a purchase, such as households replacing an ageing laptop that still works.
The source material does not say what caused memory prices to rise in this period. Industry discussion has pointed to strong demand for memory from data centres used for artificial intelligence, which competes with consumer electronics for chip makers’ output. How far that explains the price rises behind this quarter’s figures is not set out in the reporting summarised here.
It also helps to know what a shipment is. A shipment is a device sent from a manufacturer into the sales channel: distributors, retailers, or business customers buying direct. It is not the same as a sale to an end user. Shipments can fall because manufacturers and retailers choose to hold less stock, as well as because fewer people are buying.
Who is affected and how?
PC manufacturers face lower volumes, and possibly lower revenue, unless higher prices per device make up the difference. Their component suppliers, retailers and distributors are exposed to the same slowdown.
Consumers who need a new computer face higher prices or lower specifications for the same money. Many may postpone buying, which is one way a price rise turns into a fall in shipments. People on tight budgets and buyers in price-sensitive markets are likely to feel this most, although the regional breakdown of the decline is not given in the available summary.
Businesses, schools and public bodies that replace computers on a regular schedule may have to delay upgrades or set aside more money. Delayed upgrades can mean running older machines for longer, which brings its own maintenance and security issues.
Smartphone makers face similar pressure, as the 14-year low in shipments suggests. Memory makers sit on the other side of the equation. Higher prices can help their revenue even if the number of consumer devices falls, depending on where the demand for their output comes from.
Where do informed people disagree?
The reporting summarised here records broad agreement between research firms about the size of the fall. The open questions are about cause and duration.
One question is how much of the decline is caused by memory prices and how much by other factors. Earlier buying cycles, general economic conditions, consumer confidence and inventory decisions by manufacturers and retailers can all affect shipment figures. Separating these effects is difficult, and different analysts may give them different weight.
A second question is whether the fall is temporary. If memory prices stabilise or fall, the delayed demand could return as postponed purchases are made. If prices stay high, lower volumes could last longer and the market could settle at a smaller size with higher average prices.
A third question is what shipments reveal about real demand. Because shipments measure supply into the channel, a sharp drop can overstate or understate the change in what end users actually buy. That depends on whether retailers were reducing their stock or building it up.
What does this mean in practice?
For anyone planning to buy a computer, the main practical point is that prices for new devices have been under upward pressure, and memory capacity at a given price point may be less generous than before. Comparing specifications carefully, especially the amount of RAM, matters more when manufacturers are trying to keep headline prices down.
For organisations, budgets for hardware renewal may need revisiting. Some may choose to extend the life of existing equipment, for instance by upgrading memory in machines that allow it, although upgrade parts are subject to the same price pressures.
For the industry, a fall of this size affects production planning, marketing and pricing strategies. Manufacturers may focus on higher-margin models, where component costs make up a smaller share of the price, or try new configurations aimed at holding prices steady.
What should readers watch next?
The next set of quarterly estimates from Counterpoint, IDC and Omdia will show whether the decline deepens, levels off or reverses. The fourth quarter includes major seasonal shopping periods in many markets. It will therefore test whether price-sensitive buyers return or keep waiting.
Memory pricing is the other indicator to follow. Signs that chip makers are adding capacity, or that demand from other sectors is easing, would point to lower component costs over time. Continued tightness would suggest that higher device prices may last.
Smartphone figures are also worth tracking alongside PCs. If both markets recover or weaken together, that would support the view that a shared component cost is driving the trend.
Frequently asked questions
Why did PC shipments drop so much in 2026?
Counterpoint Research, as reported by The Verge, found that global PC shipments fell 21 per cent year on year in the third quarter of 2026. The coverage links the decline to months of rising prices for RAM, a memory component used in every computer. Higher memory costs made new PCs more expensive, and fewer were shipped. Other factors, such as economic conditions and stock decisions by retailers, may also play a part.
What is the difference between PC shipments and PC sales?
Shipments count devices sent by manufacturers into the sales channel, including distributors, retailers and business customers. Sales to end users happen later and may not match shipments in the same period. If retailers decide to hold less stock, shipments can fall faster than consumer purchases. Shipment data are widely used as an indicator of market health, but they reflect demand only indirectly.
Why does the price of RAM affect the price of a laptop?
RAM is the working memory that every laptop needs, and it is one of the main components in the cost of building one. When memory prices rise for a sustained period, manufacturers must either accept lower margins, raise retail prices or fit less memory at the same price. Any of these can make new laptops less attractive to buyers who could put off a purchase.
Are smartphones affected by the same problem?
The Verge reports that smartphone shipments in the third quarter of 2026 fell to their lowest level in 14 years. Smartphones also rely on memory chips, so higher memory prices can raise their production costs too. The available reporting does not set out in detail how much of the smartphone decline comes from memory prices compared with other causes.
Is it a bad time to buy a new computer?
Prices for new computers have been under upward pressure because of memory costs, and some models may offer less memory for the money. Whether to wait depends on how urgently a device is needed and how prices develop. It is not known when memory prices will ease. Comparing specifications closely, especially RAM capacity, is sensible for anyone buying now.
Which research firms track global PC shipments?
Several market research firms publish quarterly estimates of global PC shipments. For the third quarter of 2026, The Verge cites Counterpoint Research and notes that its figures agree with earlier estimates from IDC and Omdia. Each firm uses its own methods and definitions, so exact numbers can differ, but agreement between them makes a trend more credible.
Sources and further reading
- The Verge: technology news coverage reporting Counterpoint Research’s third-quarter 2026 PC shipment estimate.
- Counterpoint Research: market research firm that publishes quarterly estimates for PC and smartphone shipments.
- IDC: technology market analyst whose earlier third-quarter PC estimates the Counterpoint figures are reported to match.
- Omdia: technology research firm that also published PC shipment estimates for the same quarter.
Surfaced from the rss:verge signal “PC shipment decline”. AI-assisted draft, editorially reviewed.
