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If the most recent estimate from Gartner turns out to be correct, manufacturers of personal computers will need to prepare for a sharp decline in sales.

The analytical group predicted that, by the end of 2022, consumer demand will be 13.5 percent down from 2021. PC shipments are estimated to fall by 9.5 percent.

Computer manufacturers won’t have much luck attempting to sell their products to businesses either, because Gartner predicts an impending 7.2 percent decline in corporate demand.

A mix of reasons are behind this

Certain regions will have significantly lower PC demand than others. The picture is especially gloomy in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, where PC sales are expected to decline by 14 percent from last year.

Gartner cited several causes for this, such as COVID-19 policies in China, increased costs due to inflation, and global instability brought on by global conflicts.

It’s not just PCs. Other gadget categories will also suffer, notes Gartner. For example, tablets are expected to drop by 9 percent this year while mobile phone sales decline by 7 percent.

Chromebooks

We’re a long way from the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which drove up demand for PCs and smartphones. PC shipments increased by 11 percent in 2021 over the previous year. Sales of mobile phones increased by 5 percent.

According to Ranjit Atwal, a Gartner researcher, Chromebook sales are expected to dip about 30 percent. He went into further detail about some of the causes of the sharp drops, stating that price increases are driven by inflationary pressures that reduce margins.

Furthermore, France and Germany are already feeling the effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As a result, consumers spend less than in the past and prioritize other products over consumer gadgets.