IDC: PC shipments have begun to slow

Since the COVID-19 epidemic, global PC shipments have seen a relatively large increase, sweeping away the previous downturn and ushering in a short-term recovery. But after two years of strong growth, PC shipments appear to be starting to slow. Preliminary results from IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker report show that worldwide shipments from the traditional PC business, which includes desktops, notebooks, and workstations, fell 5.1% in the first quarter of 2022, though still higher than previously expected.

Although PC shipments declined in the first quarter of 2022, it does not mean that the PC industry is in a downward spiral. Suppliers shipped 80.5 million PCs throughout the quarter, despite successive challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, semiconductor supply chain, and logistics. PC shipments exceeded 80 million units in the first quarter of 2022, marking the seventh consecutive quarter that global shipments have reached more than 80 million units, a feat not seen since 2012.

In terms of manufacturers, Lenovo still holds the top spot with a market share of 22.7%, followed by HP, followed by Dell, and Apple, and ASUS and Acer are tied for fifth place. Among them, ASUS, Dell, and Apple were the only suppliers with year-on-year growth in shipments. Also, laptops declined year-over-year, while desktops saw a slight increase.