Global PC sales have plummeted – and Apple is one of the biggest losers
PC sales have continued to decline in the third quarter of 2023, down 7.6% year-on-year, new analyst reports claim.
Despite declining shipments, IDC remains say that PC shipments had increased in the previous two quarters, slowing the pace of the annual decline.
The analysis shows that there is light at the end of the tunnel and that the industry may have passed through the worst of it. This means you may want to consider upgrading your beloved laptop or PC before competition heats up again and prices start to rise.
PC sales are suffering, but not for much longer
Looking ahead, IDC research manager Jitesh Ubran said: “The PC industry is on a slow path to recovery as a device refresh cycle and end of support for Windows 10 will help drive sales in the second half of 2024 and beyond .”
HP was the only company in the top five to see a year-over-year increase, albeit only 6.4%. Apple, on the other hand, saw the biggest drop of 23.1%. However, IDC highlights the potential skewing of the numbers due to production slowdowns and inventory challenges due to the pandemic and its lasting effects.
The market intelligence and research firm noted that PC companies can still take positives from the weak sales: reduced deliveries could buy them time to explore production and assembly processes outside China, for example.
Canalys – another company involved in monitoring PC sales – noted the impact that releasing new models can also have on sales. In the second quarter of 2023, Apple’s shipments rose 50.9% year over year, thanks to the launch of the new 15-inch MacBook Air.
IDC thinks an emerging market will also play a crucial role in the recovery of PC sales: AI PCs have already gained the interest of many companies and could prove to be both popular and pricey, which means a win-win situation for sales figures and revenues in the coming months and years.