Memory Supply Crisis Forecast To Hammer PC Shipments And Send Notebook Prices Soaring

The doom and gloom forecasts are ramping up as the memory and storage supply crunch continues to be analyzed, and today we get a two-for-one special courtesy of fresh reports by Omdia (formerly IHS Markit) and Trendforce. Together, they paint a pretty bleak picture of the PC landscape, with a modest decline in shipments expected as well as significantly higher laptop prices to come.

Starting with Omdia, which has the more muted forecast, the market research firm says combined desktop, notebook, and workstation shipments are expected to decline by 12% to 245 million units in 2026. The forecast is based on "sharp increases in memory and storage prices," which it further claims are on track rise by 60% by the end of this quarter.

"Further upward price pressure is anticipated throughout the remaining quarters of the year, though subsequent increases are expected to be more moderate. Since 1Q25, the costs ...