Global shipments of personal computers in the first quarter of 2026 increased by 4% compared to the same period last year – up to 62.8 million units, according to preliminary calculations by Gartner.
However, analysts at the research company note that such growth rates are artificially inflated. “This was not due to real demand, but to increased inventories at suppliers and distributors in anticipation of expected price increases in the second quarter, driven by the rapid rise in the price of memory chips, as well as DRAM and NAND components. This is especially true for low margin products,” said Gartner research head Rishi Padhi.
Among the world’s top six computer vendors, only HP Inc. saw its sales decline last quarter (down 4.9 per cent).
Shipments of Apple Inc. Inc. grew 12.7 per cent, a significant increase. “This result was primarily driven by strong demand for the MacBook Neo, especially among new Mac users and customers in the education sector,” Padhi said. – This strategic positioning allowed Apple to attract frugal consumers looking for high-performance devices, further strengthening the company’s competitive advantage in this segment.”