OMarket research firm IDC has reported that there was a 29% decrease in global shipments of personal computers during the first quarter of 2023.
This decline can be attributed to multiple factors, including weak demand, excess inventory, and a deteriorating macroeconomic climate.
Of the top five PC companies analyzed, Apple Inc was hit the hardest, experiencing a 40.5% drop in Q1 shipments compared to the same period in 2022.
Dell Technologies Inc followed closely with a drop of 31%, while Lenovo Group Ltd, Asustek Computer Inc, and HP Inc also faced declines in shipments.
According to a report released by the International Data Corporation on Sunday accessed by Reuters, global PC shipments during the first quarter of this year totaled 56.9 million, which is a significant drop from the 80.2 million shipped during the same period in 2022.
This marks a continuation of a year-on-year decline of 28.1% observed in the last quarter of 2022.
Apple Inc faced the biggest decline in Q1 shipments compared to the same period in 2022, with a drop of 40.5%. Dell Technologies Inc came in second with a drop of 31%.
The other three companies among the top five analyzed in the report, Lenovo Group Ltd, Asustek Computer Inc, and HP Inc, also experienced declines in shipments, as per the IDC’s report.
Apple recently reported that its Mac computer sales, which had previously surged during the pandemic due to increased remote work, had dropped by 29% YoY to $7.7 billion in their most recent quarter, as per their report in February.
IDC stated, “The preliminary results also represented a coda to the era of COVID-driven demand and at least a temporary return to pre-COVID patterns. Shipment volume in Q1 2023 was noticeably lower than the 59.2 million units shipped in Q1 2019 and 60.6 million in Q1 2018.
“The pause in growth and demand is also giving the supply chain some room to make changes as many factories begin to explore production options outside China.”
Speaking about the report, research vice president, Devices and Displays at IDC, Linn Huang, said, if the economy goes up by 2024, “we expect significant market upside as consumers look to refresh, schools seek to replace worn-down Chromebooks, and businesses move to Windows 11.”
“If recession in key markets drags on into next year, recovery could be a slog.”
