According to a report by market research firm Canalys, the global PC market declined 16 percent in 2022 as it struggled with a poor economic environment with rising energy costs and interest rates. Total deliveries in 2022 were 285.1 million units. Total shipments of desktops and notebooks declined 29 percent to 65.4 million units in the fourth quarter of 2022, although notebook shipments declined 30 percent to 51.4 million units. Lenovo owns the lion’s share of global PC shipments, followed by HP, Dell, Apple and Asus in the top five positions. Global PC sales have seen massive growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, and 2022 shipping volumes are still cheap compared to pre-pandemic times.
the report from channels said total shipments of desktops and notebooks fell 29 percent to 65.4 million units in the fourth quarter of 2022 amid a global recession, increased inflation and higher interest rates. Total shipments for the full year were 285.1 million units, down 16 percent compared to high demand in 2021 caused by the coronavirus pandemic, which encouraged working from home. However, shipment volumes are encouraging compared to the pre-pandemic phase, with total shipments in 2022 up 7 percent from 2019.
Notebook shipments also fell 30 percent to 51.4 million units in the last quarter of 2022 and 19 percent to 223.8 million units for the full year. While desktop sales fell 24 percent to 14.1 million units in the fourth quarter and 7 percent for the year to 61.3 million units.
In terms of market share, Canalys’ report shows this Lenovo continued to lead the market for the fourth quarter and for the full year. With deliveries totaling 15.5 million units, the Chinese company achieved a market share of 23.9 percent in 2022, down 29 percent from the previous year.
hp remains the second-biggest contributor with 13.2 million units shipped, down 29 percent in the fourth quarter. For the year as a whole, HP had a market share of 19.4 percent.
Dell, in third place, suffered a steeper decline, with sales falling 37 percent to 10.8 million units. Total deliveries in 2022 also fell by 16 percent to 49.7 million units. The American company had achieved a market share of 17.4 in the previous year.
Apple and Asus landed in fourth and fifth place in 2022 with 9.5 percent and 7.2 percent market share respectively. According to the report, the Cupertino-based giant shipped 27.2 million Mac units in 2022, while Asus shipped 20.2 million units.
The Canalays report shows that all manufacturers in the top 5 positions saw a drop in shipments, with Apple and Asus being the least affected.
Canalys said subdued spending over the holiday season due to a poor economic environment, rising interest rates, a slowdown in hiring and expectations of a recession are cushioning demand for notebooks, desktops and workstations.
Ishan Dutt, senior analyst at Canalys, said the drop was particularly sharp as the corresponding period in 2021 led to record shipments of notebooks and desktops. Vendors and retailers tried to stimulate consumer spending with deep discounts, but despite some success, this was not enough to spur significant new sales. “With energy and basic goods costs rising in key markets like the US and Europe, spending on high-priced items like PCs has taken a back seat as consumers are willing to delay updates. Meanwhile, on the commercial front, both public and private sector budgets faced tightening amid rising interest rates, a slowdown in hiring and expectations of a recession earlier this year,” he added.
The research firm forecasts the PC market to recover in late 2023, with momentum picking up in 2024. “This is supported by an increase in education demand in key markets as devices deployed during the peak of the pandemic reach the end of their lifecycle. And even during the downturn, there will be areas that can help the industry thrive, like gaming, connected PCs, and hybrid work, all of which were highlighted by announcements at CES 2023,” he added.
