the new landscape of the PC market in 2024

After years of growth, during Covid, then a deep crisis, after Covid, the PC market is still going through a pivotal period.

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While the global economy shows signs of recovery, computer sales are still struggling to take off. According to the latest data from IDC (International Data Corporation), global PC shipments declined by 2.4% in the third quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.

But behind this overall figure lie contrasting realities that deserve attention.

Apple: the unexpected fall

The surprise of this quarter undoubtedly comes from Apple. The Cupertino giant saw its Mac sales collapse by 24.2% compared to the previous year. Yet Apple was growing.

How can we explain such a decline? Several factors come into play. First, the economic situation is pushing consumers towards less expensive machines, which does not work in Apple’s favor.

Then, the MacBook Pro renewal cycle could have an impact: the M3 model having been presented in October 2023, some potential buyers are certainly waiting for the release of the M4, scheduled for October 2024.

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This sudden fall takes Apple from fourth to fifth place in the world ranking of PC manufacturers. A hard blow for the apple brand.

Lenovo and Asus: the good students

Unlike Apple, some manufacturers are doing well. Lenovo confirms its position as world leader with 24% market share and slight growth of 3% compared to the previous year. But the real surprise comes from Asus, which recorded an impressive growth of 10%. The Taiwanese manufacturer thus climbs to fourth place in the ranking, tied with Apple.

This performance from Asus is all the more remarkable as it comes in a generally gloomy market context.

AI: the market’s great hope

If the PC market is still struggling to return to solid growth, all eyes are turning to artificial intelligence. IDC analysts see AI as a potential growth engine for years to come.

Jitesh Ubrani, research director at IDC, believes that “thenew AI PCs such as Qualcomm Copilot+ PCs along with equivalent chips from Intel and AMD, as well as Apple’s M4-based Macs, are expected to boost the premium segment in the coming months. »

However, you will have to be patient. Linn Huang, research vice president of devices and displays at IDC, tempers this enthusiasm: “ We expect artificial intelligence to become ubiquitous by the end of the decade, but mass commercialization of these products will take longer than expected, until 2026.« .

The year 2025 will therefore be important for the development of software and concrete use cases for these AI-boosted PCs. For our part, we share this opinion, we have difficulty identifying AI as a must-have in 2024. hype around Copilot+ PCs has crumbled since the launch last June.

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The renewal of professional fleets

If the consumer market remains sluggish, the professional segment offers more encouraging prospects. Many companies have started to renew their IT equipment in anticipation of the end of support for Windows 10. This movement, already well underway in Japan which recorded double-digit growth in Q3 2024, is expected to spread to other markets in the next quarters.

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This dynamic could well be the engine the market needs to return to positive growth.

Bryan Ma, vice president of Worldwide Device Trackers at IDC, is cautiously optimistic: “ After two quarters of moderate growth, the market is taking a break before entering the end-of-year buying period. Downside risks remain in the current geopolitical environment, but we believe there is enough upside potential for next year to carry the market toward modest single-digit growth.« .

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