US PC shipments (excluding tablets) rose 1.0% year-on-year in 2Q26 to 18.8 million units, according to new research from Omdia, reversing a 7.0% decline in 1Q26.
Omdia attributed the return to growth to retailers and channel partners bringing forward purchases to secure inventory ahead of expected price increases linked to memory and storage supply constraints. The firm said average US PC sell-in prices exceeded US$1,000 for the first time, up 12.0% year-on-year.
The rebound is expected to be short-lived. Omdia forecast US PC shipments will decline 10.7% for the full year and fall 18.4% in the second half of 2026. The firm also forecast shipments to decline a further 4.9% in 2027, with total US PC market revenue projected to fall 6.0% that year.
Component constraints influence market dynamics in 2Q26
Omdia said sustained supply pressure in 2Q26—primarily DRAM and NAND constraints—contributed to higher PC prices. It said PC OEMs maximised available volumes, while retailers and channel partners increased inventory to mitigate anticipated cost increases and secure supply.
Premiumisation and component costs drive double-digit ASP growth
“The US PC market in 2Q26 benefited from rising average selling prices (ASPs) driven by organic premiumisation and supply-driven cost inflation,” said Scott Braverman, Senior Analyst at Omdia. “While shipment growth was muted at 1.0%, US PC market revenue increased by 13.1% as OEMs prioritised production of higher-margin, higher-cost PCs amid component constraints. The impact was most pronounced in the business segment, where ASPs rose 19.0% as enterprises sought to secure pricing amid uncertainty over future costs. Consumer ASPs also increased 9.7%, as higher costs were passed on to end users.”
Omdia said the trend was also reflected in channel reporting, citing Best Buy, CDW, and Insight Enterprises as noting higher computing selling prices offset softer unit volumes in recent quarters.
Rising component costs hit entry-level systems most, according to Omdia, with shipments of PCs priced below US$699 down 6.5% while shipments of PCs priced above US$1,500 increased 36.8%. Omdia said AI PCs contributed to higher ASPs, accounting for 48.3% of US PC shipments during the quarter and forecast to exceed 50% for the first time in 3Q26.
“The shipment volume observed in the second quarter represents borrowed volume from 2027,” Braverman added. “Combined with persistent supply constraints and elevated prices, we anticipate continued pressure on buyer demand, and subsequently shipment volumes, throughout 2027.”
Consumer and commercial PC shipments face continued pressure
Omdia said the consumer segment outperformed the overall market in 2Q26, with shipments up 2.8%, but forecast consumer PC shipments to decline 13.6% in 2026 as higher prices weigh on demand. Commercial PC shipments were forecast to decline 9.3% for the full year.
The firm said both segments are projected to remain under pressure through 2027, with neither forecast to return to growth before 2028. Beyond supply constraints, Omdia pointed to reduced refresh activity after many US enterprises completed PC fleet upgrades in 2025 ahead of the end of Windows 10 support.
Government PC shipments recorded the steepest contraction in 2Q26, falling 24.4% as rising ASPs put pressure on federal budgets, Omdia said. Education shipments rose 9.9% during the quarter but remained below 2Q24 levels. For 2026, Omdia forecast shipments to decline 19.2% in government and 2.6% in education.
Apple outpaces US PC market in 2Q26
Omdia said Apple moved into third place in the US market ahead of Lenovo, with shipments up 32.1% year-on-year, supported by a full quarter of MacBook Neo availability. The firm said this lifted Apple’s share of the US consumer PC segment to 29.4%, and reported that Apple’s business segment shipments grew 50.6%.
Among other major vendors, Omdia said Dell recorded the largest decline, with shipments down 8.8% as component allocation shifted away from entry-level systems. It also reported Dell’s US Chromebook shipments fell 47.0% compared with a 10.0% decline for the overall US Chromebooks market. HP shipments declined 3.7%, while Lenovo shipments increased 2.0%. Omdia said both HP and Dell recorded revenue growth as higher ASPs offset lower shipment volumes.
