(Photo: AP/Afro)This information was recently compiled by US research firm IDC.reportBy 2024, global PC shipments (preliminary figures) for the period April-June 2024 were 64.9 million units, an increase of 3% compared to the same period last year. In addition to rising expectations for AI (artificial intelligence) devices, known as “AI computers,” replacement purchases of business-use computers increased, leading to positive growth for the second quarter in a row.
“The personal computer market, like other technology markets, faces short-term challenges due to maturation and headwinds,” said Ryan Reese, an IDC group vice president who conducted the study. However, he said, “Two consecutive quarters of growth, expectations for AI computers, and corporate replacement cycles were factors that revived the market.”
Apple increases 20%, the largest increase among the top 5 companies
In terms of shipments by manufacturer, China’s Lenovo Group, the top manufacturer, increased shipments by 3.7% year-on-year to 14.7 million units. HP, which came in second place in the United States, had sales of 13.7 million units, an increase of 1.8%, while Dell Technologies, which came in third place, had sales of 10.1 million units, a decrease of 2.4%.
Apple followed with 5.7 million units. The company’s year-on-year growth rate was 20.8%, the highest among the top five companies. The next fastest growing company was Honggo Taiwan (Acer) with sales of 4.4 million units, an increase of 13.7%.
According to IDC, major industry players have recently outlined initial strategies for personal computer AI, mainly pinning their hopes on the potential of the business computer market. Under these circumstances, all eyes are on the kind of message that Apple will send with its new products that will be released in the second half of 2024. In addition, semiconductor manufacturers Qualcomm, Intel, and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) are expected to add their advanced AI personal computers, which will also attract attention.