Gartner Says Worldwide PC Shipments Declined 9.5% In Q2 2015

Worldwide PC shipments totaled 68.4 million units in the second quarter of 2015, a 9.5% decline from the second quarter of 2014, according to preliminary results by Gartner, Inc.

The drop-off was the steepest PC shipment decline since the third quarter of 2013. PC shipments are projected to decline 4.4% in 2015.

There were many contributors to the decline of PC shipments in the second quarter of 2015, and Gartner analysts highlighted three of the major reasons for the drop in shipments.

Analysts emphasized that these inhibitors are temporary events, and they are not changing the PC market’s structure. Therefore, while the PC industry is going through a decline, the market is expected to go back to slow and steady growth in 2016.

“The price hike of PCs became more apparent in some regions due to a sharp appreciation of the U.S. dollar against local currencies,” Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner. “The price hike could hinder PC demand in these regions. Secondly, the worldwide PC market experienced unusually positive desk-based growth last year due to the end of Windows XP support. After the XP impact was phased out, there have not been any major growth drivers to stimulate a PC refresh. Lastly, the Windows 10 launch scheduled for 2Q15 has created self-regulated inventory control. PC vendors and the channels tried clearing inventory as much as possible before the Windows 10 launch.”

For more information, visit www.gartner.com.