Global PC Shipments Expected to Return to Growth in 2024 Albeit Below 2019 Pre-Pandemic Levels
August 29, 2023 | IDCEstimated reading time: 2 minutes

The road to recovery for personal computers (PCs) has been challenging coming off explosive years in 2020 and 2021, but signs of growth are finally returning. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker, PC shipments are forecast to grow 3.7% year over year in 2024 reaching 261.4 million shipments. This shipment volume will be higher than the 259.6 million in 2018, but still below 2019 levels. The industry still faces challenges including concerns around the consumer market refresh cycle, businesses pushing device purchases forward, and education budgets that are not rebounding in many markets. As a result, 2023 shipments are forecast to decline 13.7% year over year to 252 million units.
"Consumer demand remains tepid at best as the segment continues to face economic headwinds," said Jitesh Ubrani, research manager for IDC Mobility and Consumer Device Trackers. "Consumer demand for PCs also faces challenges from other devices including smartphones, consoles, tablets, and more, marking 2023 as the year with the greatest annual decline in consumer PC shipments since the category's inception."
The commercial PC market is getting very interesting for several reasons. From a processor standpoint we are arguably seeing some of the biggest shifts in commercial PC history with AMD reaching 11% share in 2022 and Apple just over 5% in 2022. Additionally, the introduction of generative AI has all IT decision makers questioning where to prioritize budgets. And while AI-capable PCs are not ready today, they are coming and have shifted some of the discussion around device purchasing within businesses. Lastly, the move to remote/hybrid work environments has not gone away and as a result we're still hearing that many companies are listening to the requests of their employees. This includes which brands, types of PCs, and whether multiple PCs are needed for those that are in a hybrid work environment.
"These days it's hard to have a conversation that doesn't involve AI and where and how to invest," said?Ryan Reith, group vice president with IDC's Worldwide Mobile and Consumer Device Trackers. "Commercial PCs will remain interesting for years to come with technology advances adding an extra element to decision making, but it's important to remember that Windows 10 end of support comes in 2025 and this will drive commercial refresh regardless of whether companies are waiting on more advanced PCs or just needing to update an aging installed base. It seems clear that Apple sees an opportunity to continue its growth in the commercial segment and this will be an angle to watch closely going forward."
Suggested Items
Smartphone Demand Rebounds in 2H23, Q3 Production Rises 13% with Continued Growth Expected in Q4
12/07/2023 | TrendForceTrendForce reports that smartphone production—fueled by reduced channel inventories and spikes in seasonal demand—saw a significant uptick in 3Q23.
Global Shipments of Wearable Devices Show Modest Growth and Strong Volume in Q3 2023
12/06/2023 | IDCWorldwide shipments of wearable devices grew 2.6% year over year during the third quarter of 2023 (3Q23) and reached an all-time high for the third quarter of 148.4 million units, according to new data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker.
U.S. Partnership for Assured Electronics Awards Nearly $10M to 7 Microelectronics Firms
12/04/2023 | USPAESeven microelectronics firms received nearly $10 million in combined funding to commercialize technologies of interest to the U.S. military services as winners of the Defense Business Accelerator (DBX) Microelectronics Challenge. This groundbreaking initiative is funded by the Department of Defense (DoD) and led by the U.S. Partnership for Assured Electronics (USPAE).
Cicor Presents Financial Mid-term Targets at Capital Markets Event
12/04/2023 | CicorThe Cicor Group is publishing its financial mid-term targets for the next three to four years today and hosts its Capital Markets Event 2023 this evening in Zurich.
Global TV Shipments to Fall Below 197 Million Units for the First Time in 2023, Slight Growth of 0.2% Expected in 2024
11/29/2023 | TrendForceTrendForce’s latest research indicates that despite a decrease in the CPI in Europe and the US this year, consumer budgets are still constrained due to the current high-interest-rate environment, and the real estate bubble in China has suppressed TV demand. Moreover, a significant increase in TV panel prices this year has led brands to scale down promotional events.