Worldwide PC shipments reached 62.9 million units in Q3 2024, reflecting a 1.3 percent decrease from the same quarter in 2023, according to preliminary data from Gartner, Inc. This drop follows three consecutive quarters of year-over-year growth for the PC sector.
Mikako Kitagawa, director analyst, Gartner, noted that despite the introduction of a complete range of Windows-based AI PCs for both Arm and x86 architectures in Q3 2024, there had not been a corresponding surge in PC demand, as consumers were not yet convinced of their clear advantages or business value. She also mentioned that the anticipated demand for Windows PC upgrades, spurred by the impending end of Windows 10 support in 2025, did not fully materialize in Q3, partly due to economic difficulties in certain areas.
Outlook for recovery
Kitagawa indicated that even with the year-over-year decrease this quarter, the PC market was still on a path to recovery. She expected global PC demand to gain momentum towards the end of 2024, with stronger growth anticipated in 2025, when the PC refresh cycle would peak.
Vendor performance analysis
The rankings of the top four vendors remained unchanged compared to Q3 2023. Lenovo, HP, Apple, and Acer saw year-over-year growth, while Dell and ASUS experienced declines in shipments.
Regional overview of the U.S. market
In the U.S., the PC market grew by 5.6 percent in Q3 2024, with over 17 million units shipped, supported by stable macroeconomic conditions.
Kitagawa observed that the U.S. public sector demonstrated strong PC demand in Q3 2024, as the government finalized its budget and concluded its fiscal year. She also noted that the education sector showed robust demand, with many devices purchased during the pandemic reaching replacement age. Chromebooks experienced double-digit year-over-year growth, driven by demand from schools.
U.S. market share standings
HP retained its leading position in the U.S. PC market, holding a 24.8 percent market share, followed closely by Dell with 23.6 percent.
EMEA market challenges
The EMEA PC market experienced its first decline in four quarters, dropping 1.5 percent.
Kitagawa explained that temporary challenges impacted spending in EMEA during Q3 2024. Political elections in the U.K. and France, along with significant sporting events, diverted consumer and business attention away from technology purchases, especially PCs. She suggested that this modest decline should be viewed as a sign of stabilization in the EMEA PC market rather than a return to long-term downturns.
Read more: IT spending forecast: Gartner predicts 6.8 percent growth worldwide in 2024
Asia/Pacific regional performance
In the Asia/Pacific region, the market declined by 8.5 percent year-over-year, largely due to persistently weak demand in China, where the PC market fell by 10 percent year-over-year, primarily because of reduced demand for desktop PCs from government and state-owned enterprises.
Japan’s growth in shipments
Japan reported its first double-digit year-over-year growth in PC shipments in three years. Kitagawa remarked that while macroeconomic conditions remained unstable in Q3, many companies, particularly large enterprises, were aligning their PC refresh cycles with the end of Windows 10 support in 2025.
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