Omdia: Global PC Shipments Grew 9% in 2025 but Memory and Storage Supply Issues Threaten 2026 Outlook

Key Terms

skus technical

SKUs, or stock keeping units, are unique codes used to identify individual products in a company's inventory. They help businesses track how many items they have, sell, or need to restock, similar to how a library assigns specific numbers to books for easy organization. For investors, SKUs provide insight into a company's product lineup and sales performance, which can influence financial health and growth prospects.

sell-in shipments technical

Sell-in shipments are the products a manufacturer or supplier sends to distributors, wholesalers or retailers during a reporting period; they count as sales to the channel but not yet as purchases by end customers. Investors watch sell-in because it shows how much stock is moving into the sales pipeline—like a factory delivering boxes to stores—which can signal future revenue growth but may overstate demand if retailers are simply building up inventory rather than selling to consumers.

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The latest research from Omdia reveals that total shipments of desktops, notebooks and workstations in Q4 2025 grew 10.1% to 75 million units. This brought full-year 2025 PC shipments to 279.5 million units, a 9.2% increase over 2024 volumes. Notebook (including mobile workstation) shipments reached 58.6 million units in Q4 and 220.4 million units in the full year, achieving 8% growth in 2025. Desktop (including desktop workstation) shipments in Q4 landed at 16.2 million units, bringing the total 2025 volume to 59 million units, a 14.4% increase over the previous year.

Worldwide desktop and notebook shipments 2016 – 2025

Although overall PC market performance in 2025 was healthy, memory and storage supply tightened, and the associated upward price pressure emerged from the middle of the year. In December 2025, PC vendors began signaling their expectations of price increases. Coupled with the inability to secure sufficient supply, this has already dampened forecasted shipment expectations for 2026. “Between Q1 to Q4 2025, mainstream PC memory and storage costs rose by 40% to 70%, resulting in cost increases being passed through to customers,” said Ben Yeh, Principal Analyst at Omdia. “Given tight 2026 supply, the industry is emphasizing high-end SKUs and leaner mid to low-tier configurations to protect margins.”

“In 2026, with device replacement demand not yet fully abated, supply-side pressures will be more pronounced and supply will not fully meet demand,” added Yeh. “Actual shipment performance will hinge on vendors’ memory and storage procurement and negotiating leverage; beyond scale, their track records and credibility with suppliers will be a decisive factor in determining their success in navigating this period of complexity.” A November 2025 Omdia poll of B2B channel partners that asked “How do you expect your PC business to perform in 2026 compared to 2025” revealed that 57% forecast growth in 2026, indicating that a healthy demand environment will provide strong opportunities for vendors that are best able to manage their supply.

Worldwide desktop and notebook shipments (market share and annual growth) Omdia PC Market Pulse: Q4 2025
Vendor	Q4 2025 shipments	Q4 2025 market share	Q4 2024 shipments	Q4 2024 market share	Annual growth
Lenovo	19,313	25.8%	16,880	24.9%	14.4%
HP	15,387	20.6%	13,724	20.2%	12.1%
Dell	12,468	16.7%	9,898	14.6%	26.0%
Apple	7,023	9.4%	6,893	10.2%	1.9%
Asus	5,307	7.1%	4,972	7.3%	6.7%
Others	15,285	20.4%	15,526	22.9%	-1.5%
Total	74,783	100.0%	67,893	100.0%	10.1%
Note: Unit shipments in thousands. Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
Source: Omdia PC Horizon Service (sell-in shipments), January 2026

Worldwide desktop and notebook shipments (market share and annual growth) Omdia PC Market Pulse: 2025
Vendor	2025 shipments	2025 market share	2024 shipments	2024 market share	Annual growth
Lenovo	70,851	25.4%	61,841	24.2%	14.6%
HP	57,440	20.6%	52,992	20.7%	8.4%
Dell	41,894	15.0%	39,096	15.3%	7.2%
Apple	27,674	9.9%	23,779	9.3%	16.4%
Asus	20,067	7.2%	18,329	7.2%	9.5%
Others	61,526	22.0%	59,910	23.4%	2.7%
Total	279,452	100.0%	255,947	100.0%	9.2%
Note: Unit shipments in thousands. Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
Source: Omdia PC Horizon Service (sell-in shipments), January 2026

Lenovo led the PC market both sequentially and for the full year, delivering double-digit growth of 14.4% in Q4 2025 and closing the year with shipments of 71 million units, up 14.6% year on year. HP ranked second, shipping 15.4 million PCs in Q4 2025 and recording growth on both a sequential and annual basis during the quarter. Dell posted its strongest quarterly performance of 2025, achieving a robust 26% year-on-year increase in Q4. Full-year shipments reached 42 million units, representing a 7% increase compared with 2024, while Dell also expanded its market share by two percentage points year on year in the quarter. Apple retained fourth place and stood out as the fastest-growing vendor for the full year. The company recorded 16.4% growth for the full year, with full-year shipments reaching 28 million units. Asus rounded out the top five in both quarterly and full-year rankings, shipping 5.3 million units in Q4 and 20 million units for the year, supported by 7% growth during the holiday quarter.

ABOUT OMDIA

Omdia, part of Informa TechTarget, Inc. (Nasdaq: TTGT), is a technology research and advisory group. Our deep knowledge of tech markets grounded in real conversations with industry leaders and hundreds of thousands of data points, make our market intelligence our clients’ strategic advantage. From R&D to ROI, we identify the greatest opportunities and move the industry forward.

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Fasiha Khan – fasiha.khan@omdia.com

Source: Omdia