PC sales have continued to drop in the third quarter of 2023, with figures down 7.6% year-on-year, new analyst reports have claimed.
Despite dwindling shipments, IDC says that PC shipments had increased in the two previous quarters, helping to slow the rate of annual decline.
The analysis shows that there’s light at the end of the tunnel, and the industry could be through the worst, meaning you may want to think about upgrading your beloved laptop or PC before competition hots up again and prices begin to rise.
PC sales are suffering, but not for much longer
Looking ahead, IDC research manager Jitesh Ubran said: “The PC industry is on a slow path to recovery as a device refresh cycle and end of support for Windows 10 will help drive sales in the second half of 2024 and beyond.”
HP was the only firm in the top five to see a year-on-year increase, though only by 6.4%. By contrast, Apple saw the largest decline of 23.1%. However IDC highlights the potential skewing of figures caused by production slowdown and stock challenges caused by the pandemic and its lasting effects.
The market intelligence and research firm noted that PC companies can still draw positives from struggling sales: reduced shipments could buy them time to explore manufacturing and assembly processes outside of China, for example.
Canalys – another company that tasks itself with monitoring PC sales – noted the impact that releasing new models can have on sales, too. Q2 2023 saw Apple’s shipments increase by 50.9% year-on-year, thanks to the launch of the new 15-inch MacBook Air.
IDC reckons that an emerging market will also play a pivotal role in the recovery of PC sales: AI PCs have already gained the interest of many businesses and could prove to be both popular and pricey, which means a win-win for sales figures and revenue in the months and years ahead.