Global shipments of personal computers in the world by the end of 2026 will fall by 11.3%, expects International Data Corporation (IDC).
The research company has significantly worsened the previous forecast, which was presented in November and provided for a reduction of 2.4%.
Current year tablet shipments will decline by 7.6 per cent, experts estimate.
This revision is due to a shortage of memory chips, higher component prices and supply issues that are expected to limit PC production until 2027. Also worth considering is the conflict in the Middle East, which adds another major challenge for many industries, including technology and hardware, the report said.
“Overall, the technology industry, like many others, continues to face uncontrollable challenges that combine to cause widespread disruption,” said Ryan Reith, group vice president of devices and consumer products at IDC. – The list of industry and geopolitical events that continues to grow makes decision-making-and even survival in some sectors-practically impossible. What has turned all of this from a million-dollar question to a trillion-dollar question is the complete uncertainty about when these pressures will ease.”
However, the increase in average selling price (ASP) will increase the total value of the PC market this year by 1.6 per cent (to $274bn), with tablets up 3.9 per cent (to $66.8bn).
“The era of low-cost PCs and tablets is behind us as the rise in ASPs and component costs is changing the balance of power in the market,” says IDC Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers research manager Jitesh Narendra. – The shortage of memory chips will continue into 2027. While we expect some price reductions in 2028, the market is unlikely to return to levels seen in 2025.”