Dive Brief:
- Microsoft’s end-of-support deadline for Windows 10 helped drive an 8.2% year-over-year increase in global PC shipments in the third quarter of 2025, according to a Gartner report published Thursday. Worldwide PC shipments exceeded 69 million units in Q3 2025, the report said.
- Despite the push to upgrade systems ahead of the Oct. 14 deadline, shipments in North America only grew 1.6% year over year. Tariff threats moved vendors to rapidly stockpile U.S. inventory earlier this year, leaving minimal room for growth near the end of 2025.
- Geopolitical and macroeconomic headwinds not only affected North America’s PC shipment growth, but consumer demand as well, Gartner Research Principal Rishi Padhi said in the report. Consumers are being cautious and “delaying PC purchases,” according to Padhi.
Dive Insight:
Global PC shipments growth comes at a time when the industry is shifting toward AI-optimized PCs to further accelerate adoption of the technology.
Although tariffs slowed adoption in 2025, HP noted an unexpected increase in AI PC shipments during the three-month period ending July 31. Enterprise demand for specialized hardware is growing, with top PC vendors including HP, Intel and Lenovo all introducing AI features to their PCs.
Enterprises are shifting toward AI PCs that include integrated neural processing units to enable on-device AI capabilities, Padhi said.
“Gartner estimates that the AI PC segment will reach 31% in share of shipments in 2025, up from 15% in 2024, marking a significant shift in market priorities and innovation,” he said.
Despite rising interest and growth in AI PCs, there remains significant work for enterprises in transitioning to Windows 11, according to a report from Omdia. In a survey conducted in September 2025, only 39% of respondents indicated that customers’ PCs had been refreshed or upgraded.
Another 18% plan to continue using Windows 10 following the Oct. 14 end-of-support deadline, likely opting for Microsoft’s paid program for extended security updates. Omdia noted this represents a significant user pool that will need transition support.
The top five worldwide PC vendors – Lenovo, HP, Dell, Apple and ASUS – remained unchanged year over year. While all five vendors experienced increased shipments, Lenovo saw the strongest growth at 16.6% year over year.
“With upgrade demand spilling into Q4 and beyond, key industry players have outlined updated roadmaps for new products aimed at enticing PC purchases,” Omdia Research Director Ishan Dutt said in a release accompanying the report.
Amid new product releases, on-device AI will likely be a rekindled theme heading into 2026 “following a relatively muted 2025,” Dutt said.
Microsoft announced Thursday its move to make Windows 11 PCs into AI PCs by integrating Copilot, the company’s advanced AI assistant. Apple also unveiled its new MacBook Pro powered by its M5 chip to bolster AI workflows.
Disclosure: Informa, which owns a controlling stake in Informa TechTarget, the publisher behind CIO Dive, is also invested in Omdia. Informa has no influence over CIO Dive’s coverage.
