Global PC sales fell sharply in the first quarter of 2023. Apple in particular saw a sharp decline in Mac sales.
According to research firm IDC, PC sales fell 29 percent to a total of 56.9 million in the first quarter of 2023. In the first quarter of 2022, 80.2 million PCs still crossed the counter.
Reasons for the decline include the macroeconomic situation and less demand. In addition, the large inventory of PCs is also a problem. Manufacturers still have a large inventory of unsold PCs left over from the last quarters of 2022. This large inventory led to lower prices, which reduced profit margins. The excess inventory problem will remain a problem for the foreseeable future, IDC expects.
Apple records biggest loss
Lenovo is still the largest PC vendor. This despite a 30 percent loss from the first quarter of 2022. In second place is HP, followed by Dell.
Apple is fourth and recorded the largest loss in the past quarter. The tech giant sold 40.5 percent fewer Macs than in the first quarter of last year. In fifth place is ASUS.
Expectations
Researchers expect the PC market to rebound by the end of this year. Mainly because of the replacement of PCs with older Windows versions with new Windows 11-capable ones. However, growth remains dependent on macroeconomic conditions.
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