Apple Inc. MacBook Pro and Air laptops at the brand new Apple Inc. store contained in the Starfield mall during its opening in Hanam, South Korea, on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023.
SeongJoon Cho | Bloomberg | Getty Images
The slump in pc sales is more likely to end next yr as consumers appear set to purchase newer PCs, with demand for devices equipped with artificial intelligence features further boosting the market, based on analysts.
“At the tip of a difficult yr for the PC market, there’s finally reason for optimism. Canalys expects the PC market to return to growth of 8% in 2024 as customers look to refresh the PCs of the pandemic era and latest AI-capable devices emerge,” said analysts Ben Caddy and Kieren Jessop in a Dec. 20 report.
Microsoft ending support for its Windows 10 operating system on Oct. 14, 2025, in step with its normal 10-year support lifecycle “could prevent lots of of tens of millions of devices from getting second lives,” Canalys said, which is able to further drive sales of newer PCs.
“The vast and aging installed base of business PCs surpassing the four-year mark by 2024 is predicted to necessitate a refresh, coinciding with the pressing demand to migrate toward Windows 11,” based on market intelligence firm IDC. It expects the PC market could grow 3.4% next yr from 2023.
IDC data revealed that 2020 saw the highest growth in global PC sales since 2010, catalyzed by the pandemic-induced shift to distant work and learning.
Global PC shipments stood at 68.5 million units within the third quarter of 2023, representing a 7.2% drop in volumes compared with the identical quarter in 2022, IDC data showed.
Shipments have seen consecutive quarterly declines because the start of 2022, brought on by macroeconomic headwinds, weak retail and business demand, and a shift in IT budgets away from device purchases.
The combination of AI capabilities into PCs is predicted to function a catalyst for upgrades, hitting shelves in 2024.
The boom in generative artificial intelligence could boost PC sales as consumers actively look to integrate AI features that enhance productivity and leisure experiences, Canalys said.
The firm predicts that 60% of the PCs shipped in 2027 shall be AI-capable. “PCs, that are central to modern work and life, are actually set to evolve in each software and hardware domains to maintain pace with this trend.”
HP CEO Enrique Lores told CNBC last month that the firm’s latest computers with AI capabilities will help speed up the PC market’s growth.
“That is going to double the expansion of the PC category starting next yr,” Lores said.
While at first the AI-integrated PCs shall be aimed toward specific segments of the enterprise market, but with cost reductions and more use cases they might find their technique to a broader market, IDC analysts said.
“The combination of AI capabilities into PCs is predicted to function a catalyst for upgrades, hitting shelves in 2024,” they added.
