Acer and Asus kicked off the year with an unexpected win, posting strong January revenue at a time when notebook sales typically cool off after the holiday rush. The surge has caught attention across the PC supply chain, not least because it runs against the usual seasonal pattern that many brands plan for.
Still, behind the upbeat numbers, caution is building. Industry sources suggest this momentum may not last, with the bigger challenge likely arriving in the second quarter of 2026. The concern isn’t demand alone—it’s what happens when inventories of key components start to thin out. As stockpiles are drawn down, manufacturers may face higher purchasing costs, and those increases are expected to make their way to consumers through higher laptop prices.
That combination—tighter component availability and rising end-user pricing—could become the real stress test for notebook makers. A strong start to the year can help smooth short-term results, but sustained performance will depend on how efficiently brands manage inventory, negotiate supply, and hold demand steady once prices climb.
The current picture is promising, but the next few quarters may reveal which PC brands are truly operating on solid fundamentals. To borrow Warren Buffett’s famous line, “Only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s been swimming naked.”
