PC shipments fell by more than 29% in the first quarter of this year
According to market research firms Canalys and IDC, PC shipments experienced a decline of 29% to 32.6% in the first quarter of this year, with industry players such as Lenovo, HP, Dell, Apple, and ASUS witnessing a decrease in shipments ranging from 24.1% to 45.5%.
Owing to the disparate methodologies employed by the two research organizations, there are minor discrepancies in the data. Nevertheless, it is evident that the overall PC market demand has significantly diminished, primarily due to the deceleration of the pandemic, as well as a marked reduction in the need to replace PCs during the crisis. Moreover, the recent economic uncertainty and inflationary issues have further dampened the demand for PC upgrades.
The data reveals that shipments of Apple’s Mac models have plunged by more than 40.5%. One contributing factor is the relatively higher price point of Macs compared to Windows PCs. Mac users typically comprise students and professionals, unlike Windows PC users, who often upgrade their devices for gaming performance, leading to less frequent replacement demands.
Although overall PC shipments have substantially declined, both Canalys and IDC anticipate a turnaround in the PC market. This optimism stems from the fact that educational institutions and businesses are nearing the point of replacing their outdated equipment, which is expected to boost PC shipments in the latter half of the year.
However, the research firms also acknowledge the possibility of a continued slump in the PC market, potentially prompting PC brands to introduce mid-range models or focus on updating existing models in terms of product design. Simultaneously, they believe that the significant double-digit declines witnessed in the first quarter are unlikely to recur.
