To no surprise, and as predicted, PC sales fell in the first quarter of 2023. IDC notes this. Recovery is in sight, but not for tomorrow.

According to IDC, the PC market will shrink in the first quarter of 2023. The decline in PC sales started with the end of the pandemic and is due to the challenging economic situation. Not only is the number of orders on the low side, but the inventory in the channel is still quite high. According to IDC, 56.9 million computers were shipped in the first quarter of 2023. That is 29 percent less than in the same quarter of 2022, when there was already a decline.

No surprise

The decline in the market comes as no surprise. Analysts have long predicted that PC sales challenges will continue for some time to come. IDC itself merely lowered its expectations. At the end of 2022, the analyst firm forecast a further decline for this year and even earlier in 2022 the current results were already in the stars.

The current quarter was felt by all manufacturers. Lenovo is currently the largest OEM with 12.7 million laptops shipped, but saw a 30.3 percent decline in sales volume. In second place is HP with 12 million computers sold, down 24 percent. Dell is only third with the largest decline of any professional manufacturer: 31 percent fewer PCs sold, bringing Dell to 9.5 million units sold. Finally, we mention Apple, which was hit hardest of all computer manufacturers. 4.1 million devices left the factory: 40.5 percent fewer than a year earlier.

future perspective

IDC expects the downtrend to continue for some time. Until the middle or even the end of 2023, overstocks will have a negative impact on orders. If the economy picks up again afterwards, analysts expect a recovery. From 2024 there are prospects for the PC market again, also because devices bought at the beginning of the pandemic and during the switch to Windows 10 will gradually be getting on in years by then. A refresh of companies’ PC portfolios coupled with upgrades to Windows 11 could boost sales next year.

Until then, it’s patience. That in itself is not a disaster, notes IDC. The drop gives manufacturers the opportunity to streamline their production lines, eliminate logistical problems in the supply chain, and potentially seek new manufacturing facilities outside of China.