Global PC shipments in the third quarter of 2023 saw a continued decline, dropping by 7.6% compared to the previous year. Approximately 68.2 million PCs were shipped worldwide during this period, as reported by the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker.
While demand for PCs and the global economy aren’t very strong, there has been a small increase in PC shipments over the last two quarters. This has slowed down the annual decline, showing that the PC market is improving.
PCs in stores and warehouses have been reduced, and most places have a good amount in stock. But, the prices are still going down, especially for consumers and businesses. Some top PC companies had big drops in sales during this time, like Apple, which had a tough comparison to the previous year due to COVID-related production issues in 3Q22.
On the other hand, HP’s growth was because they were getting back to normal inventory levels. The PC industry is slowly getting better. In the second half of 2024 and beyond, there will be more sales because people will want to update their devices, and Windows 10 support will end.
But for now, the PC industry will still face challenges, according to Jitesh Ubrani, a researcher at IDC. He also mentioned that the slow progress in the industry is making companies think about getting parts and making PCs in places other than China. This will be a big topic in the future, along with improving AI in PCs.
Commenting on the report, Linn Huang, Research Vice President, Devices & Displays at IDC, said:
The advent of generative AI could mark a pivotal point for the computer industry. Although its applications are still being defined, there’s already a high level of interest in this field. AI-powered computers offer businesses the opportunity to customize user experiences more profoundly, while also maintaining data privacy and sovereignty. With the anticipated launch of more such devices in the coming year, we foresee a considerable increase in overall market prices.