According to new industry estimates, global PC shipments fell dramatically in the first quarter of 2022, indicating that the PC sales bubble is gone.
According from Gartner Inc. data released on Monday, worldwide PC shipments fell 7.3 %in the first quarter of 2022, owing primarily to a sharp drop in Chromebook shipments.
"Chromebook growth has tempered after an exceptional Chromebook spike in 2020 and early 2021, driven by demand from the US educational market," Mikako Kitagawa, research director at Gartner said. "It was a difficult time for the PC and Chromebook markets to grow, as the PC industry had experienced its fastest growth in decades this time last year."
Excluding Chromebooks, the global PC market increased by 3.3 % year on year. In addition to lower Chromebook sales, sluggish consumer demand contributed to the market's downward trend, as consumer spending shifted away from devices.
With a 23.6 %, Lenovo Group Ltd. 992, -3.94 % retained its lead in total global shipments, while HP Inc. Dell Technologies Inc., -1.14 %, and HPQ, -1.14 percent According to Gartner and IDC, DELL, -0.93 % rounds out the top three.
U.S. PC sales declined 16.5 %, with "the most substantial impact from reduced Chromebook sales" in the U. S., according to the company. Dell was the number one computer company in the U.S... PC vendor, with a market share of 27.1%, is followed by HP, with a market share of 22.7 %.
Apple's momentum has continued to build this year, fueled by the popularity of M1-based Mac devices. The company shipped 7 million units, an increase of 8.6 %. Apple introduced Mac Studio, an M1-based premium desktop model, in the first quarter, driving sales among PC users who require high processing power.
According to The Register, despite the slump, PC vendors shipped 80 million desktops, laptops, and workstations for the eighth quarter in a row, which hasn't happened since 2012.
IDC Program Vice President Ryan Reith said, they saw some slowing in both the education and consumer markets, but all indicators show that demand for commercial PCs is still very strong.
To respond to consumer demand, PC manufacturers may become more choosy in the units they build and ship.
As companies entice workers back to physical office spaces, global return-to-office plans will continue to fuel commercial PC sales.
To attract consumers and the educational segment, PC manufacturers may need to rely on innovation and newer form factors. According to MarketQuest, this includes convertible 2-in-1s, powerful gaming PCs, and tablet PCs.
