The latest research from Omdia shows that US PC shipments (excluding tablets) fell 7.0% year-over-year in quarter one (Q1) of 2026 to 15.8 million units, the largest annual decline since the third quarter of 2023. However, there’s (kinda) good news for Apple.

The downturn in PC shipments reflects component supply constraints and cost pressures from surging PC memory and storage prices. With DRAM and NAND supply increasingly diverted to AI server applications, rising component costs are eroding vendor margins on entry-level devices, making low-priced PCs “increasingly unviable,” says Omdia. 

Shipments of PCs priced under $500 declined 18.7% year-on-year in the quarter. Omdia expects industry-wide declines to continue throughout the remainder of 2026 as supply tightness persists, with full-year US PC shipments forecast to decline 14.4% compared to 2025.

According to Omdia’s May forecast, the first half of 2026 is likely to be the stronger period for business PC demand. The component cost environment is expected to keep entry-level prices elevated through 2027, suppressing consumer demand.

Vendor performance varied significantly in Q1 2026, reflecting difference in segment exposure and pricing dynamics. HP’s 21.6% decline in shipments was the steepest drop among major providers and resulted in HP losing its top spot in the US in Q1 2026. 

Dell captured the lead with a 25% share, posting 1.1% growth despite overall market contraction, while Lenovo also achieved growth of 1.2% to reach 20.0% of the market. Both vendors’ growth was driven by significant consumer segment share gains (4 percentage points each year-over-year), narrowing the gap with Apple and HP. 

Apple’s shipment decline of 1.6% outperformed the overall market, maintaining a 16.9% share as MacBook adoption continued in business segments where Apple’s presence has grown to 15.3%. Smaller vendors also faced severe pressure, with shipments declining 13.1% as these brands lack the same component procurement leverage as larger competitors.

Apple sold under 2.7 million Macs in the first quarter of 2026. That compares to sales of slightly over 2.7 million Macs (and 16%) market share in the first quarter of 2025.

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Article provided with permission from AppleWorld.Today