NEW DELHI, India — Worldwide PC shipments increased 4% year over year to 62.8 million units in the first quarter of 2026, according to a report released Wednesday by Gartner.
However, the growth does not fully reflect underlying consumer demand. Instead, vendors and channel partners boosted inventory levels in anticipation of higher component costs in the second quarter.
Rishi Padhi, research principal at Gartner, said the year-over-year increase was “artificially inflated,” driven largely by stockpiling ahead of expected price hikes tied to rising memory costs, often referred to as “memflation,” along with higher prices for DRAM and NAND flash components.
He said the trend was especially evident in lower-margin PC segments.
Comparisons with last year also skewed the figures, as the first quarter of 2025 saw elevated shipments due to front-loading ahead of U.S. tariffs, further distorting the year-over-year trend.
Among vendors, there were no major changes in the rankings of the top four global PC makers. Lenovo retained its position as the market leader, while HP Inc. held second place despite a slight loss in market share. Dell Technologies also posted gains during the quarter.
Apple was the fastest-growing major vendor, with shipments rising 12.7% year over year. The growth was driven by strong demand for its MacBook Neo lineup, particularly among first-time buyers and in the education sector.
“This performance was primarily driven by robust demand for the MacBook Neo, particularly among new Mac users and buyers in the education sector,” Padhi said.
“This strategic positioning enabled Apple to attract cost-conscious consumers seeking high-performance devices, further solidifying its competitive advantage in the segment,” he added.
The report said Apple’s positioning helped it draw price-sensitive buyers looking for high-performance systems, strengthening its competitive standing in the global PC market.
Meanwhile, ASUS moved ahead of Acer to claim the fifth spot in global vendor rankings during the quarter. (Source: IANS)
