2019 was relatively kind to the PC industry, and marked the first full year the PC market experienced growth since 2011, however modest, according to research firms Gartner and IDC.
IDC estimates annual PC shipments in 2019 increased 2.7 percent year over year, whereas Gartner pegs the figure at a mere 0.6 percent. Nevertheless, it's welcome sign for the industry when many customers have prioritized smartphone purchases over desktops and laptops.
"This past year was a wild one in the PC world, which resulted in impressive market growth that ultimately ended seven consecutive years of market contraction," IDC analyst Ryan Reith said in Monday's research note.
Indeed, the PC market has shrunk quite a bit over the years. In 2011, vendors shipped 352 million PCs. But by the end of 2018, the number had plummeted to 258 million units.
Growth in 2019 can be attributed in part to Windows 7 losing official support as of today (here's how to get Windows 10). As a result, many commercial businesses have been buying new Windows 10 laptops and desktops, which helped PC shipments in 2019 reach 266 million units, according to IDC.
"The continued business push specifically helped the top 3 players—Lenovo, HP, and Dell—to further consolidate their hold on the market with a combined share of just over 65 percent in 2019," the research firm said.
It's possible the PC market could continue to grow into 2020. Gartner points to how some businesses, particularly in Asia, are still migrating from Windows 7 to Windows 10. But that said, consumer demand for PCs remains weak.
"Looking ahead, Gartner predicts a continuous decline in the consumer PC market over the next five years," company analyst Mikako Kitgawa said in a research note. To spark sustained growth, the PC industry will need to come up with innovations to give consumers a reason to upgrade to a new device.
"We've already started to see this through the 'foldable laptops' introduced at CES this past week along with initiatives that make PCs as easy as smartphones by allowing users to always be connected and ensuring a worry-free battery life," Kitagawa added. "Such innovations that change user behavior and create new product segments are something to keep an eye on in 2020 and beyond."