Analysts at Canalys said that next year, the decline in sales in the personal computer market is highly likely to end, since, according to their observations of the mood and plans in the consumer environment, there is currently a trend towards a gradual restoration of interest to the purchase of relevant devices.
Experts Ben Caddy and Kieren Jessop say that a difficult year for PCs in terms of the commercial performance of this industry is coming to an end against the background of the prospects that 2024 will be more successful. They predict that over the next year, the market for these devices will record growth of 8% relative to the results of 2023.
Experts note that there is currently a request among consumers to update PCs that were purchased during the coronavirus pandemic. Also, according to them, in the context of the recovery of the market for these devices, it is of particular importance that the developments of the corresponding category are equipped with technologies and tools of artificial intelligence, which contributes to the growth of consumer interest. The relevant statements are contained in the report of Canalys analysts.
Experts also noted that the termination of Microsoft’s support for its Windows 10 operating system on October 14, 2025, could prevent hundreds of millions of PCs from getting what can be described as a second life. This circumstance significantly complicates the prospects for continued operation of the devices. Microsoft is ending support for the 10th version of its operating system as part of the standard 10-year digital life cycle of the software. According to experts, this factor will contribute to an increase in PC sales as consumers begin to switch to using more modern devices.
The IDC analytical company stated that the vast and aging installed base of commercial PCs, which will overcome the 4-year mark of operation by next year, will create the need for an upgrade, which will stimulate appropriate commercial actions. Also, this circumstance, as noted by the experts of the mentioned firm, coincides in time with the requirement to upgrade to Windows 11. Two facts create favorable conditions for increasing sales in the PC market. In a sense, the development of this commercial space is favored by the regularity of technological processes.
IDC predicts that next year the sales level in the PC market will grow by 3.4% compared to 2023. Data from this company indicates that 2020 saw the largest global consumer demand for the specified devices since 2010. This trend of 3 years ago is largely due to the coronavirus pandemic, which expanded the scale of remote work and learning.
IDC data shows that in the third quarter of this year, global PC shipments totaled 68.5 million units. This indicator is 7.2% lower than the result for the same period in 2022.
Since the beginning of last year, the volume of shipments of personal computers has shown a quarterly decline. This trend is the result of an unfavorable state of affairs in the macroeconomic environment, weak retail and commercial demand, and a shift in IT budgets from device purchases.
IDC expects that the integration of artificial intelligence technologies and tools into PCs will help increase sales of these products. AI will be the catalyst for updates that will be publicly available next year.
Canalys believes that the boom in artificial intelligence will sweep the PC market, as consumers are interested in accessing advanced technology integrated into various devices allowing them to increase productivity and improve the quality of leisure activities. Experts of this company predict that in 2027, 60% of supplied computers of the mentioned category will support machine intelligence. Analysts say that PCs, the central technical tool in work and everyday life, will be developed in software and hardware domains to keep up with the pace of increasing the power of artificial intelligence.
HP CEO Enrique Lores, during a conversation with media representatives last month, said that the company’s new computers with AI will help accelerate the growth of the market for the corresponding devices. He expects that next year the sales figure will begin to show a double increase.
IDC analysts believe that at the initial stage, PCs with artificial intelligence will be focused on specific segments of the corporate market, but as the costs associated with the integration and operation of AI decrease and advanced technology usage scenarios expand, these devices will move into the mass-market category.
As we have reported earlier, Microsoft Rolls Out Update to Windows 11 PC.
