New analyst figures have claimed that the PC market has regained the momentum it needs to start growing again.
IDC figures state that during the second quarter of 2024, desktop and notebook shipments increased 3-3.4% year-over-year to 62.8-64.9 million units, with notebook models continuing to lead the way, accounting for around four in five shipments and experiencing the largest growth.
The healthy increase can be attributed to both the approaching end of life of Windows 10 and increased interest in upcoming AI-powered PCs, as well as a surge in Apple's Mac devices.
The PC industry is finally heading in the right direction
Ishan Dutt, principal analyst at Canalys, commented: “The PC industry is looking from strength to strength and has recorded a third consecutive quarter of growth.”
During the quarter ending June 30, Copilot+ PCs were launched and Apple announced plans for generative AI, which Canalys suspects contributed to strong sales.
While Apple’s market share is still hovering around 7-9%, the company has seen a healthy increase in shipments compared to the same period in 2023. Canalys tracks growth as 6%, and IDC estimates a more optimistic 20.8% growth. The Cupertino Mac maker will release its most recent quarterly report on August 1.
Ryan Reith, group vice president of IDC’s Worldwide Device Trackers, added: “A strong market hype around AI-enabled PCs and a less attractive but arguably more important commercial upgrade cycle seems to be what the PC market needed.”
Looking ahead, both analyst firms predict increased interest later this year, when Apple’s long-awaited AI-enhanced hardware is met with similar buzz from Qualcomm, Intel and AMD around consumer and commercial AI PCs.
