- IDC Reports 29% Drop in Global Computer Shipments in Q1 2023
- 56.9 million PCs were shipped, lower than Q1 2019 shipments
- This is the end of the high demand stimulated by teleworking and distance education during the pandemic
- Even Apple, which seemed immune, sees shipments drop 40.5%
During the pandemic, the massive use of telecommuting and distance education has stimulated demand in the PC market. But today, that era is well and truly behind us. According to a new study published by the firm IDC, the first quarter of 2023 marks the end of the period of high demand due to the pandemic and a (temporary) return to the patterns of the pre-COVID era.
According to the firm’s data, 56.9 million computers were shipped worldwide in the first quarter of 2023. Compared to the same period in 2022, the decline is 29%. But above all, IDC specifies that these shipments are lower than the 59.2 million units of the first quarter of 2019 and the 60.6 million units of the first quarter of 2018.
A 40% drop at Apple
This decline is due to a reduction in global demand, excess inventories and macroeconomic conditions (inflation). And while Apple was doing better than its competitors in 2022, at the start of 2023, this one is seeing its Mac shipments plummet. The Cupertino company, number 4 in the first quarter, saw its Mac shipments drop 40.5% year-on-year. This is the largest drop among the top 5 computer manufacturers.
And it’s quite surprising, because until now, the Cupertino company seemed to better resist the crisis, compared to its competitors. For example, in the last quarter of 2022, while computer shipments were down 28.1% year-over-year, the decline was only 2.1% for Apple, according to IDC. And in the third quarter of 2022, when the market was down 15%, Apple was showing 40% growth.
A return to growth is already expected
The good news is that according to IDC analysts, the computer market should return to growth this year. The firm anticipates an improvement in the global economy by the end of the year. And it also anticipates purchases of new Windows 11 PCs by users of older versions of Microsoft’s operating system.
“By 2024, an aging installed base will begin to be refreshed”said Linn Huang, vice president of research, devices and displays, at IDC. “If the economy is up by then, we expect the market to rise significantly as consumers look to refresh, schools look to replace worn-out Chromebooks, and businesses upgrade to Windows 11.”
In the meantime, according to the firm, the market is taking advantage of this pause in growth to make changes in the supply chain, in order to be less dependent on China.
