PC and tablet shipments will be drastically reduced by more than 11 per cent amid memory shortages and supply chain disruptions according to the latest data from the International Data Corporation (IDC).
This year IDC says PC shipments will fall by 11.3 per cent in 2026 – a huge difference from 2.4 per cent forecast made in November 2025.
Tablets shipments are also predicted to fall by a huge 7.6 per cent this year.
These shipping reductions are driven by a combination of memory shortages, rising component prices and other broader supply issues.
The memory shortage is the result of an unprecedented tipping point with demand severely overtaking supply.
The rapid expansion of AI and the need for expanded infrastructure to meet that demand is what is causing this supply-demand pressure.
So now PC, tablet and smartphone manufacturers who are after RAM and NAND memory used in their devices are struggling for supply because the traditional memory manufacturers have pivoted production to make more memory for AI data centres.
IDC says these supply shortages could last well into 2027.
And IDC’s analysis and initial forecast was made before war broke out in the Middle East which will add more challenges to the technology and hardware industries.
“The overall tech industry, as well as many others, continues to face uncontrollable headwinds that, when compounded, result in massive disruption,” said Ryan Reith, group vice president, Devices and Consumer.
“The lists of industry and geopolitical events that continue to grow is making decision‑making—and even survival in some sectors—nearly impossible.
“What has turned all of this from a million‑dollar question into a trillion‑dollar question is the complete uncertainty around when these pressures will subside.”
IDC says higher average selling prices will still lift the total PC market value to $274 billion in 2026 while tablet will still expand by 3.9 per cent to $66.8 billion.
Looking ahead, IDC says vendors will prioritise supply chain resilience and more flexible component sourcing to control costs.
