The PC industry is currently preparing for a storm; market experts are expecting significantly weaker sales in 2026. Things looked anything but bad in the last few quarters and at the beginning of the year, as customer demand was above average. According to the IDC, the total of all manufacturers achieved an increase of 2.5 percent in the months January to March, which corresponds to 65.6 million devices sold. However, IDC explicitly describes the quarter not as the beginning of an upswing, but as the final phase before a more difficult year. Customers stock up
The growth in the first quarter was primarily driven by three factors: the expectation of rising component prices, the upcoming Windows 10 replacement and new product launches. Three manufacturers stand out in the numbers, as the first quarter of the year was accompanied by significant growth for Lenovo (+8.6 percent), Apple (+9.1 percent) and Asus (+17.1 percent). According to the IDC, things are likely to look quite different in the current quarter, but there is one exception: Apple could be the only company that could boast significantly stronger figures. The latest product innovations are more likely to be introduced in the second quarter of the year, and the MacBook Neo is also enjoying brisk sales.
The rest of the year will be difficult
For most manufacturers, the rest of the year will probably be characterized by a sharp decline in PC deliveries, as various factors are likely to lead to price increases, some of which are significant. In addition to the storage shortage, the IDC cites more expensive logistics as a result of the Iran war as an additional burden. In the market overview from March, the forecast for the entire PC market in 2026 had already been drastically reduced and a decline of over 11 percent is now expected. In the USA, however, the actually good first quarter was no longer able to shine, there was a decline of 3.3 percent.
