Cool demand hurts computer shipments

Arita Peng

Global personal computer shipments fell 15 percent year-on-year in the third quarter to 74.3 million units as demand cooled and supply remained uneven.

Preliminary results from the consultancy International Data Corporation showed that shipment volumes still remained well above pre-pandemic levels.

"Consumer demand has remained muted though promotional activity from the likes of Apple and other players has helped soften the fall and reduce channel inventory by a couple of weeks across the board," said Jitesh Ubrani, research manager for IDC's mobility and consumer device trackers.

However, Apple's third-quarter supply rose to make up for lost orders stemming from the lockdowns in China during the second quarter, he said.

The tech giant recorded 10.06 million shipments, jumping 40.2 percent year-on-year and taking 13.5 percent of the market share while ranking fourth in the market.

PC giant Lenovo's (0992) shipments declined 16.1 percent to 16.88 million units but it still took the top spot with a 22.7 percent market share.

The No. 2 brand was HP, which recorded a 27.8 percent fall year-on-year to 12.7 million units, while taking a 17.1 market share.

Dell Technologies, the No. 3 brand, had 16.1 percent of the market with 11.96 million units.