TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — IDC reported global PC shipments reached 59.8 million units in the first quarter of 2024, a year-on-year increase of 1.5%, in a press release on Monday (April 8).
The return to growth is good news for leading Taiwanese PC makers such as Acer, fifth in the world, and ASUS, sixth in the world. IDC data indicated global PC shipments are recovering after two years of recession, approaching pre-pandemic levels like 60.5 million PC units shipped in the first quarter of 2019.
In terms of market share, IDC said Lenovo shipped 13.7 million PCs in the first quarter, accounting for 23% of the market, followed by HP with 12 million units (20.1%), Dell with 9.3 million units (15.5%), Apple with 4.8 million units (8.1%), Acer with 3.7 million units (6.2%), and ASUS with 3.6 million units (6.2%).
Acer showed impressive growth momentum as first-quarter PC shipments saw year-on-year growth of 9.2%, which was second only to Apple's 14.6% growth rate among the world's top six major PC brands. However, ASUS saw PC shipments fall by 4.5% year-on-year in the first quarter, joining Dell as the only major PC brand to decline.
According to IDC, global PC demand has been bolstered as inflation in Europe and the U.S. has slowed. PC shipment growth is evenly spread across markets such as the Americas, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
IDC's Worldwide Mobile Device Research Manager, Jitesh Ubrani, said that despite China’s troubles, a recovery in the PC market is expected as new AI PCs will begin shipping later this year. Ubrani said this will spark an enterprise PC replacement cycle, leading to growth in PC shipments and higher prices, providing further opportunities for PC brands and component makers.