US PC Market Sees Brief Q2 Growth, Full-Year Decline Predicted

The US PC market experienced a modest rebound in the second quarter of 2026, with shipments increasing by 1.0% year-over-year to 18.8 million units. This follows a 7.0% decline in the previous quarter. The growth was attributed to preemptive stocking by retailers and channel partners who sought to secure inventory before anticipated price hikes due to memory and storage supply constraints.

Despite the short-term recovery, a significant downturn is expected for the remainder of the year. Omdia forecasts that US PC shipments will decline by 10.7% for the full year 2026, with a steeper drop of 18.4% projected for the second half. The average selling price (ASP) for PCs in the US surpassed $1,000 for the first time, marking a 12.0% increase. This rise in ASP was influenced by a natural trend towards higher-end products and increased component costs.

Component shortages, particularly for DRAM and NAND, contributed to rising prices and impacted supply. While shipment volumes saw only a marginal increase, revenue for the US PC market grew by 13.1%. This was particularly evident in the commercial sector, where ASP increased by 19.0% as businesses secured pricing amidst cost uncertainties. Consumer ASP also rose, with higher costs passed on.

The market is shifting towards more premium devices. Shipments of PCs priced under $699 decreased by 6.5%, while those above $1,500 surged by 36.8%. AI PCs constituted 48.3% of shipments in Q2, with expectations to exceed 50% in the upcoming quarter. Omdia projects that the total revenue for the US PC market will decrease by 6.0% in 2027.

Both consumer and commercial PC segments are expected to face continued pressure through 2027, with a recovery not anticipated until 2028. Prior enterprise PC refresh cycles, related to Windows 10 support ending, are also influencing future demand. Apple showed strong performance with a 32.1% increase in shipments, elevating it to the third-largest vendor in the US PC market.