IDC: PC sales down 2.7% in 4Q23, but 'worst is over'
Global shipments of PCs fell for the eighth successive quarter, says new analyst data, but growth is expected in 2024.
According to International Data Corporation's Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker, the industry shipped 67.1 million PCs in 4Q 2023. That's down 2.7% year on year – and the eighth consecutive quarter of YoY decline.
The quarter completes a miserable two years for the industry. In 2022, shipment volume plummeted 16.5% compared to the previous year, and preliminary results suggest an additional 13.9% contraction in 2023 compared to 2022. This fall is unparalleled in the industry's recorded history.
Sounds pretty terrible. However IDC reckons the market is recovering. It predicts positive momentum thanks to advances in AI, a strong commercial PC market, and advancements around gaming PCs.
"Across the major technology categories, the PC market has arguably been the biggest roller coaster in terms of ups and downs over the past four years," said Ryan Reith, group vice president with IDC's Mobility and Consumer Device Trackers. "While the market was down again in 2023 in terms of shipments, there is a lot of positive momentum for PCs looking forward."
In terms of company shares, the top suppliers in the industry are unchanged. Lenovo remains top. It shipped 16.1 million devices in 4Q23, slightly up on its 15.5 million shipments a year prior.
