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The PC market is gradually making gains, thanks in part to demand for Apple Macs.
Research firm IDC today reported that the PC market returned to growth in Q1 2024, following two years of decline after a pandemic sales boom.
According to IDC's estimates, vendors shipped 59.8 million PCs between January and March, which is up 1.5% from a year ago. The increase is nothing to brag about, especially since PC vendors shipped 60.2 million units five years ago. Still, it’s a sign that more consumers and businesses are considering buying new laptops and desktop systems.
(Credit: IDC)“With inflation numbers trending down, PC shipments have begun to recover in most regions, leading to growth in the Americas as well as Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA),” IDC added. That said, China—one of the world’s largest markets—remained a sore spot for PC demand amid weak economic conditions in the country.
“Despite China's struggles, the recovery is expected to continue in 2024 as newer AI PCs hit shelves later this year and as commercial buyers begin refreshing the PCs that were purchased during the pandemic,” said IDC analyst Jitesh Ubrani.
In Q1, Lenovo and HP maintained their position as the No. 1 and No. 2 PC vendors. But it was Apple that saw the most growth, shipping an estimated 4.8 million units, up 14.6% year-over-year. Meanwhile, Dell and Asus experienced shipment declines.
Other research firms, such as Gartner and Canalys, have yet to report Q1 numbers. But unlike IDC, they reported that the PC market returned to growth in Q4, if only slightly. In contrast, IDC estimated that PC shipments fell year-over-year by 2.7% in Q4.
UPDATE: Gartner has posted its own numbers, which also show the PC market growing, although at only 0.9% in Q1 when compared to the year before.
However, Gartner's data shows Apple's PC shipment figures in Q1 increasing at a slower pace. Acer came in first with the most growth, increasing shipments by 7.3% year-over-year.
(Gartner)