Apple and Dell Lose Out! The World's Strongest Laptop Brand Champion Claims 25.6% Market Share: Long Battery Life, High Value, and Durability That Lasts 10 Years Without Failure

When purchasing laptops, many consumers consider factors such as price, battery life, and graphics performance. According to preliminary data recently released by the renowned international market research firm Counterpoint Research, global PC shipments in the second quarter (Q2) of 2026 declined 4% year-on-year, dropping to 65 million units. Lenovo secured the top position with a market share of 25.6%.

Counterpoint Research noted that while enterprise demand—driven by Windows OS upgrade cycles and the adoption of AI PCs—continues to support the market, the sharp rise in memory (DRAM) prices and increased costs of key components have severely constrained production plans for major OEMs and are beginning to dampen consumer purchasing intent. The sudden surge in bill-of-materials (BoM) costs has forced brands to raise prices, reduce specifications on entry-level models, or shift resources toward higher-margin premium product lines.

Global Top 5 PC Brands by Shipment Volume and Market Share in Q2 2026 Despite component cost pressures, the top five PC brands collectively captured nearly 78% of the global market, highlighting the industry's trend toward consolidation:

- Lenovo: 25.6% (YoY -2%) - HP: 20.0% (YoY -8%) - Dell: 14.3% (YoY -6%) - Apple: 10.5% (YoY +13%) - ASUS: 7.4% (YoY +4%) - Others: 22.3% (YoY -9%) - Total: 65 million units (YoY -4%)

TOP 1: Lenovo – Market Leader (25.6% Market Share) Lenovo’s shipments declined 2% year-on-year to 16.6 million units. Leveraging its massive global procurement scale and deep supply chain partnerships, Lenovo successfully mitigated the impact of memory shortages and price hikes, maintaining its position as the global leader.

User reviews highlight: "ThinkPad and Legion series are stable and durable," "Lenovo is affordable and reliable—used one for 7–8 years without failure," "high cost-performance, sturdy, drop-resistant, and compact screen—highly recommended." Long-term users report: "I’ve used ThinkPads for over 20 years with stable performance," "After 10 years, boot-up and processing speeds remain normal," "Two Lenovo laptops used over three years, even for heavy tasks like AutoCAD, with no issues."

TOP 2: HP – Deepest Decline Among Top 3 HP’s shipments dropped 8% year-on-year, placing it second. Its core product lines are concentrated in mainstream consumer and mid-tier enterprise segments, which are most sensitive to price increases caused by rising component costs, resulting in the steepest sales decline.

User feedback includes: "HP is stable and user-friendly," "affordable and durable," "commercial models offer strong performance and three-year warranty, though slightly pricier in Taiwan." Some note: "HP’s lightweight laptops are worth buying just for the logo," "commercial models are well-regarded overseas for durability and protection."

TOP 3: Dell – Supported by Enterprise IT Budgets Dell’s shipments declined 6% year-on-year. Despite market challenges, its long-standing focus on commercial and enterprise markets provided a buffer through relatively stable IT budgets, avoiding the sharp downturn seen in consumer-only segments.

Users comment: "Dell has minor issues but solid warranty support," "well-built and long-lasting—quality matches the price," "some institutions directly procure Dell for office use." One user shared: "I’ve used a small Dell laptop for 12 years." Others praise: "warranty service replaces faulty units immediately," "Dell’s LINE-based customer service and warranty experience are excellent."

TOP 4: Apple – Strongest Growth, Driven by New Neo Line Apple’s shipments surged 13% year-on-year, defying market trends. The successful launch of its new Neo product line demonstrated strong brand appeal and growth momentum, making it the standout performer this quarter.

User reviews praise: "Highly recommend MacBook—extremely user-friendly," "MacBook’s battery life is exceptional, no need to shut down, instant wake-up like a tablet," "used MacBook for nearly 20 years with no work issues," "typing experience is top-tier," "current Air’s display surpasses 10-year-old Pro models," "MacBook is truly durable—my MBP still runs after 8 years," "spend more upfront for a 10-year lifespan—it pays off."

TOP 5: ASUS – Agile Strategy in AI PC Adoption ASUS demonstrated high agility in adopting new chip architectures, achieving a 4% year-on-year shipment growth. From mainstream Vivobook to high-end ProArt creator series, ASUS was among the first to launch diverse AI PC models, capturing early adopters’ attention.

User feedback: "ASUS repair service is convenient," "the only Windows brand I support—design is attractive," "never had failures with their phones, GPUs, motherboards, or laptops." One notes: "Quality was poor 5–10 years ago, but now stable and well-built," "ASUS excels beyond phones and tablets," "products from over a decade ago still function today."

Memory Costs Remain High – Global PC Prices to Rise in H2 2026 Minsoo Kang, Senior Analyst at Counterpoint Research, stated that although DRAM prices began to stabilize in Q2 after a sharp Q1 spike, persistently high costs remain a heavy burden for PC brands. Demand in price-sensitive entry-level and consumer segments is expected to shrink noticeably. In contrast, enterprise demand—driven by Windows end-of-support upgrades—will show greater resilience.

David Naranjo, Vice President at Counterpoint Research, emphasized that memory shortages and high prices are no longer short-term supply chain issues but core factors reshaping the PC industry. As OEMs face higher component costs, the market is accelerating its shift toward premium AI PCs.

Apple’s recent price increases are seen as a necessary response to rising component costs. Research firms predict other major PC brands will follow suit in H2 2026, pushing the global average selling price (ASP) upward.

Naranjo added that high-end AI PCs, with superior performance and on-device AI capabilities, are more easily accepted by consumers and enterprises at higher price points. With Windows upgrade cycles and AI adoption driving enterprise demand, consumer demand will remain constrained until component costs fall. Thus, the strategic focus for the global PC industry in 2026 will shift from volume growth to creating higher value.

Source: Counterpoint Research