Worldwide PC shipments declined by nearly five percent to 68.2 million units, marking the first drop in two years, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC). This downturn follows nine consecutive quarters of growth and is attributed to a global memory crisis that escalated in late 2025. IDC predicts this AI-driven memory shortage will persist until 2028.
The memory shortage has triggered price increases across the industry, affecting consumers while allowing manufacturers to maintain rising revenue. According to IDC, “vendors are pushing price increases through faster than demand is dropping,” resulting in a disconnect between falling unit shipments and increasing revenue. Jitesh Ubrani, a researcher at IDC, noted this trend, saying, “The real story here is the disconnect between units and dollars: shipments are falling, but revenue is climbing.” He anticipates that prices will continue to rise, with further hikes expected into 2027.
The decline in shipments is expected to worsen later this year, as existing inventory depletes and new price hikes take effect. This situation could significantly impact the typical PC upgrade cycle, according to Ubrani.
Conversely, Apple has reported an increase in PC shipments, with an additional 800,000 units shipped compared to the same quarter in 2025. This growth has raised its market share to nearly ten percent, up from 8.5 percent. While Apple has benefited from strong demand, it is not immune to rising memory prices. The entry-level MacBook saw its price increase from $600 to $700, and the entry-level MacBook Air now costs $1,300.
Outgoing CEO Tim Cook addressed the impact of memory pricing, stating, “There’s less supply at a time when consumers want devices and the memory guys are passing along huge price increases.” He emphasized the need for memory pricing and supply to stabilize to ensure reasonable consumer product prices.
In its latest financial report, Apple revealed it has $68.5 billion in cash, marking a 41 percent year-over-year increase. The company is currently valued at over $4.6 trillion.
