Gartner on February 26 projected global PC shipments will fall 10.4% and smartphone shipments 8.4% in 2026 compared to 2025 levels, driven by what the firm estimates will be a 130% surge in combined DRAM and SSD prices by the end of the year.
The forecast puts 2026 on track for the steepest device shipment contraction in over a decade, according to Ranjit Atwal, senior director analyst at Gartner. The report landed one day after HP disclosed on its Q1 2026 earnings call that memory now accounts for 35% of its PC bill of materials, up from 15-18% last quarter, confirming in real financial terms what the rest of the industry has been warning about since late 2025.