Overview
- Gartner forecasts DRAM and SSD prices will surge about 130% by late 2026, pushing memory to roughly 23% of a PC’s bill of materials.
- Global PC shipments are projected to fall 10.4% in 2026 as higher component costs narrow product ranges and push prices higher.
- Consumers are expected to keep PCs around 20% longer and businesses about 15% longer by the end of 2026, raising security and management concerns for older devices.
- Vendors are advised to accept lower unit volumes to protect margins, signaling fewer low-end models and tighter retail availability.
- Smartphone shipments are also expected to decline, with entry‑level models hit hardest and more buyers turning to refurbished or second‑hand devices, while AI PC adoption slows versus earlier expectations.