According to a new study by Counterpoint Research, worldwide personal computer shipments dropped 21 percent year over year during the third quarter of 2026 to total 57 million units. Every major personal computer manufacturer experienced drops because climbing component expenses drove up laptop costs and softened interest.
The primary drivers of this slowdown were increased prices for NAND and DRAM memory chips. Consequently, numerous buyers delayed buying laptops and put off upgrading equipment, which created additional strain on delivery volumes.
Lenovo kept its spot as the top personal computer manufacturer globally by delivering 15 million units over the July to September timeframe. The business captured 26.3 percent of the market. Hewlett-Packard came in second with roughly 10.3 million deliveries and an 18.1 percent portion, whereas Dell took third position with 7.6 million units and a 13.3 percent portion.
Apple and Asus stood out as two of the limited number of manufacturers that expanded their market portion across the quarter. Apple climbed to 9.8 percent, driven by consistent interest in the MacBook Neo model. Even so, the firm delivered about 5.6 million laptops, representing an 11 percent drop against the third quarter of the previous year.
Asus likewise expanded its standing, hitting a 9.6 percent market portion with 5.2 million deliveries. The business achieved a notable 19.4 percent rise against the second quarter of 2026.
Future prospects for the personal computer sector stay difficult since deliveries are projected to drop further during the fourth quarter. A Counterpoint analyst stated that the sector might shrink by 27 percent by the conclusion of 2026. At the same time, the analyst anticipates growth will stay flat throughout 2027.
