Analysts warn the decline may mark the start of a new downward cycle for the PC market, even as AI PCs were pitched as a growth driver.
Global PC shipments fell 20.1% in the latest quarter, the steepest drop since Q1 2023, according to Ars Technica. The decline undercuts the narrative that AI-enabled PCs would reinvigorate hardware refresh cycles.
The slump comes as Nvidia's new RTX Spark Arm-based laptops hit the market, betting on AI workloads to justify premium pricing in a contracting category.
Hardware vendors banking on AI features to drive upgrade cycles now face evidence that demand isn't materializing. Buyers and resellers should expect pricing pressure and consolidation if the downturn extends into 2027.
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