Global shipments of PCs could fall below previous forecasts because of the increasing popularity of mobile devices, market information advisory firm International Data Corp (IDC) said yesterday.
IDC has once again lowered its forecast for worldwide PC shipments for this year to 315.4 million units, down 9.7 percent from 349.2 million units last year, after forecasting a 7.8 percent annual decline in May.
The May estimate had already been revised from its March forecast of 1.3 percent decline.
IDC said the cessation of growth in China and other emerging markets has put more downward pressure on worldwide PC shipments.
PC shipments in the emerging markets for this year are likely to fall to 185 million units from last year’s 205.2 million units, it said, while shipments in mature markets are expected to drop to 130.4 million units this year from 144.0 million units last year.
“The days where one can assume tablet disruptions are purely a First World problem are over,” IDC analyst Jay Chou said in a statement.
IDC said PC shipments in China alone are expected to post a double-digit decline this year because of high inventory levels and enthusiasm for tablet computers and smartphones.
The global PC market is expected to decline through at least next year and is likely to post only single-digit growth from 2015 onward, it said.
The firm also lowered its forecast for worldwide tablet computer shipments for this year from 229.3 million units to 227.4 million units, but the updated forecast still represents a 57.7 percent increase from last year’s shipments.
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