While global PC shipments seemingly returned to growth in Q1 2026, driven by inventory movements, leading motherboard makers are guiding for shipment declines of more than 25% as manufacturing capacity is redirected toward AI and data‑center components, tightening the screws on the traditional PC ecosystem. What it means for ITADs and recyclers.
Endpoint Devices
The PC Market’s “Memflation” Moment: Why Q1 Shipment Growth Is a Mirage
PC shipment data from Gartner and IDC suggests a healthy market on the surface, but both firms warn that Q1 2026 growth is being driven by inventory build, rising memory costs, and Windows 10 migration rather than real demand.
For ITAD and recycling executives, memflation is likely to boost residual values for Windows 11-capable enterprise fleets even as a large cohort of non-upgradeable Windows 10 devices tilts toward materials recovery, while shifting vendor share, growing Apple volumes, and geopolitical freight shocks force a rethink of pricing, logistics, and Apple-specific capabilities over the next 18–36 months.
Wearables are coming
Over 600 million wearables shipped last year, representing the equivalent of smartphone-scale volume. And unlike phones, these devices are about to hit the disposition intake streams in waves. Available data suggests that the timeline is tight.
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