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Seasonal Correction! ZTE Server Q3 Estimated Shipments at 43,000

2026-01-16

According to the latest forecast data from DataTrack, ZTE's server shipments for the third quarter of 2026 are expected to be 43,000 units (43.0 K pcs), a significant decline of 28.3% from the peak of 60,000 units in the second quarter, and perfectly consistent with the figure from the same period in 2025. This demonstrates that the company's shipment momentum follows a highly seasonal pattern; after surging in the first half (Q1-Q2), the third quarter often enters a traditional period of inventory adjustment or a tender gap, with shipment volume presenting a flat trend where "peak season is not peak."

Observing detailed data, ZTE's shipment path for the first three quarters of 2026 (52,000 -> 60,000 -> 43,000) completely replicates the same period in 2025, implying that the overall general-purpose server market may have entered a mature plateau phase, lacking growth momentum derived purely from shipment volume. This trend is highly correlated with the procurement rhythm of Chinese telecom operators (China Mobile, China Telecom), where tenders are usually concentrated on contract awarding and delivery in the first half, leading to a relative slowdown in demand momentum in the second half.

Despite flat shipment volume, market attribution analysis points out that "volume flat, price up" will be the core driver. According to RCR Wireless and ZTE financial reports, the company's Computing business revenue has seen year-over-year increases exceeding 180%, mainly benefiting from significant unit price increases in AI servers and liquid cooling solutions. This means that while forecast models show stagnation in the number of shipped units, as China promotes "East Data, West Computing" and domestic computing power substitution, ZTE's market share expansion in high-end AI servers is offsetting the weak demand for general-purpose servers.

Looking ahead, in the short term (1-2 months), shipment volume will remain at low levels constrained by seasonal factors, with Q3 unlikely to offer surprises; however, in the medium term (3-6 months), with global AI server shipments estimated to grow by over 20% in 2026 (TrendForce data), combined with Chinese operators increasing construction of intelligent computing centers, ZTE is expected to restart revenue growth momentum in the fourth quarter or next year through high-unit-price AI product lines (such as inference servers paired with domestic chips). On the risk side, attention must be paid to potential upgrades in US sanctions on the supply chain, as well as the erosion of gross margins due to domestic tender price wars.

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