IDC: PC Sales Jumped 9.4 Percent in Q3

The market analysts at IDC reported today that worldwide PC sales jumped 9.4 percent year-over-year (YOY) in the previous quarter to 75.9 million units.

“While the entire market is continuing on a very strong year, fueled by Windows 11 transition and the need to replace an aging installed base, the results by region are telling different stories,” IDC research vice president Jean Philippe Bouchard said. “In particular, the North American market continues to be impacted by the US import tariff shock and by macroeconomic uncertainties. While existent, the demand for newer PCs ready for Windows 11 is likely to push well into 2026.”

What Bouchard is referring to there is that PC unit sales gained just 1 percent in the third quarter, compared to roughly 14 percent for the EMEA and Asian-Pacific markets. Apparently, most of the demand IDC saw in the quarter came from Japan, while growth elsewhere was “modest.”

Lenovo finished the quarter as the world’s biggest maker of PCs, again, with 19.4 million units sold, a gain of 17.3 percent YOY. Lenovo also gained share on competitors. It ended the quarter with 25.5 percent market share, up from 23.8 percent in the year-ago quarter.

HP was again in second place with 15 million units sold, up 10.7 percent YOY and with roughly identical market share of 19.8 percent compared to one year ago. Dell was in third place with 10.1 million units sold, up 2.6 percent YOY, though its market share fell from 14.2 percent one year ago to 13.3 percent.

Apple and ASUS rounded out the top five. Apple sold an estimated 6.8 million computers in the quarter, up 13.7 percent and with a small gain to 9 percent market share. ASUS sold 5.9 million units, up 11.4 percent, and its 7.8 percent market share is roughly flat with a year ago.