The global PC market grew by a strong 9.2 per cent in 2025 from a year before, buoyed by shipments of 279.5 million units but that momentum is expected to be dampened by rising component costs this year, according to research firm Omdia.
The stellar PC growth last year was boosted by shipments in the last quarter, which included a 10.1 per cent jump in desktops, notebooks and workstations.
Notebooks, including mobile workstations, comprised the bulk of the volume but desktops had the most significant percentage growth, surging 14.4 per cent from a year before.
However, the reduced supply of memory and storage beginning late last year has already resulted in prices moving upwards. As a result, PC vendors have reduced their shipment forecasts for 2026, according to an Omdia report this week.
In 2025, mainstream PC memory and storage costs rose by 40 to 70 per cent and these costs are being passed through to customers, said Ben Yeh, a principal analyst at Omdia.
“Given tight 2026 supply, the industry is emphasising high-end SKUs [stock keeping units] and leaner mid- to low-tier configurations to protect margins,” he added.
PC shipments in 2026 will depend on vendors’ memory and storage procurement and negotiating leverage, he stressed, adding that their track records and credibility with suppliers also determine if they can secure the much-needed supply of components.
Notably, an Omdia poll conducted in November 2025 found that 57 per cent of business-to-business channel partners expect growth in 2026, suggesting demand remains healthy for vendors able to manage supply constraints.
Lenovo leads the pack
In a competitive market, Lenovo remained the top PC maker with double-digit growth of 14.6 per cent, and 71 million units shipped in 2025. HP held second place, recording growth on both a quarterly and annual basis.
Next comes Dell with its strongest quarterly performance of 2025, with shipments that year reaching 42 million units, representing a 7 per cent increase over 2024. Dell also expanded its market share by two percentage points year-on-year in the quarter.
Apple retained fourth place and was the fastest-growing vendor in 2025. It enjoyed 16.4 per cent growth for the year, with shipments reaching 28 million units. Asus rounded out the top five in both quarterly and full-year rankings, shipping 20 million units in 2025.
