Market research firm Gartner predicts that by 2026, global personal computer shipments will decline by 10.4%, and smartphone shipments will fall by 8.4%, both dropping to their lowest levels in nearly a decade. Meanwhile, major global tech companies are ramping up investments in artificial intelligence infrastructure, driving up prices of DRAM and SSDs, which are being passed on to consumer devices. This has led to a 17% increase in the average price of PCs and a 13% rise in smartphone prices, with low-end models being hit the hardest.
