PC Market Shrinks, But Apple Is Growing
The global PC market contracted by 4.9% in the second quarter of 2026. As Apple continues to grow, memory shortages and price increases are challenging x86 manufacturers.
In the second quarter of 2026, the global PC market decreased by 4.9% compared to the previous year, due to the impact of ongoing memory shortages and increasing costs. According to IDC data, total shipments decreased to 68.2 million units, contracting for the first time after a nine-quarter growth period. In this strong economic environment, while memory supply issues and geopolitical tensions put manufacturers under pressure, Apple managed to defy the market trend with a 10.1% shipment increase. Apple, which attracted the attention of users with models such as MacBook Neo, differentiated itself from its competitors and continued to grow even during the crisis.
- Global PC shipments fell 4.9% year-on-year to 68.2 million units in the second quarter of 2026.
- Apple was the only exception to the market, increasing its shipments by 10.1% despite severe market conditions.
- It has been predicted by experts that the memory shortage is expected to last until 2028.
- x86-based PC manufacturers could not achieve sufficient stock and sales momentum despite the new generation processor models.
Memory Shortage Hindered Sectoral Growth
IDC information reveals that the biggest factor underlying the decline in the PC world is the supply shortage in memory components. While increasing costs and lack of supply caused manufacturers to increase product prices, this led to a decrease in consumer demand. According to Jitesh Ubrani, although shipment rates have decreased, manufacturers are trying to protect their total income by increasing prices.
Concerns that the crisis in memory supply will not be resolved until 2028 indicate that the market will slow down further in the second half of the year.
x86 Manufacturers Should Develop New Strategies
Giant brands such as Lenovo, HP, Dell and ASUS experienced significant losses in shipment numbers last quarter. While manufacturers, especially HP and Dell, had difficulty maintaining their market shares, ASUS stagnated. Although the companies planned to attract consumers with Intel’s new Wildcat Lake processor models, the speed of release and stock levels of the products could not meet expectations.
Apple’s success is based not only on product quality, but also on its commitment to managing its supply chain. While the company is taking aggressive steps to secure memory supply, other manufacturers seem to be late in developing a similar strategy. Manufacturers of x86-based PCs have to accept that gaining market share with processor updates alone is no longer enough.
For PC manufacturers, classical formulas are now risky and innovative moves need to be made.
Demand for Artificial Intelligence Makes Transformation Necessary
Increasing interest in artificial intelligence applications and the need for local computing in the future may trigger a renewal cycle in the PC market. However, considering the memory bottleneck that will last until 2028, it will not be enough for manufacturers to focus only on hardware updates. It is vital for companies to adopt more radical strategies that offer local solutions against cloud subscription costs.
Do you think this downward trend in the PC market will further strengthen Apple’s market dominance, or could x86 manufacturers make a comeback next year? Share your ideas with us in the comment section below.
