Global shipments of traditional PCs have exhibited signs of recovery in the fourth quarter of 2023, with preliminary results from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker indicating that nearly 67.1 million PCs were shipped during this period.
While the numbers in Q4 represent a 2.7 per cent decline from the prior year, it surpassed expectations, offering a silver lining after eight consecutive quarters of year-over-year (YoY) shipment volume contraction.
Despite the improved results, Q4 CY23 marked the lowest fourth-quarter volume since Q4 CY2006, underscoring a market slowly recovering amidst weak demand and substantial promotions.
The PC market has experienced unprecedented consecutive declines on an annual basis, departing from historical trends tracked since 1995. In 2022, shipment volume plummeted by 16.5 per cent, and preliminary results suggest an additional 13.9 per cent contraction in 2023 compared to 2022. This downturn is attributed to the aftermath of the significant surge in PC purchases driven by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a statement, Ryan Reith, group vice president with IDC’s Mobility and Consumer Device Trackers, said, “While the market was down again in 2023 in terms of shipments, there is a lot of positive momentum for PCs looking forward. While AI has clearly captured everyone’s attention, it shouldn’t be overlooked that 2024 is expected to be a strong year for commercial PC refresh, and the advancements around gaming PCs continues to drive market excitement.”
Lenovo emerged as the leader in the global PC market, shipping 59 million units and capturing a 22.7 per cent market share. Following closely, HP Inc secured the second position with 52.9 million units and a 20.4 per cent share, while Dell shipped 40 million units, accounting for a 15.4 per cent market share. Despite the overall decline in the market’s shipment figures for 2023, there is optimistic momentum for the future of PCs, suggesting a positive outlook for the industry.
