Global PC shipments are expected to show a 10 percent decline this year from last year on weakening consumer interest, market researcher International Data Corp (IDC) said on Monday.
IDC said worldwide PC shipments are expected to reach 314.2 million units this year, down about 10.1 percent from the 349.4 million units shipped last year — the steepest year-on-year decline the global PC market has ever seen.
IDC had previously forecast an annual decline of 9.7 percent.
“While IDC research finds that the PC still remains the primary computing device — for example, PCs are used more hours per day than tablets or phones — PC usage is nonetheless declining each year as more devices become available,” IDC senior analyst Jay Chou said in a statement.
“And despite industry efforts, PC usage has not moved significantly beyond consumption and productivity tasks to differentiate PCs from other devices. As a result, PC lifespans continue to increase, thereby limiting market growth,” Chou said.
Compared with the commercial PC market, the consumer PC market has faced more pressure from the rising popularity of smartphones and tablet computers.
As a result, IDC said shipments of desktops for the whole year will come out to 135.6 million units, an 8.6 percent decline, while shipments of laptops and other portable PCs, excluding tablets, are likely to fall by 11.2 percent to 178.6 million units.
In mature markets, PC shipments are expected to fall 8.4 percent year-on-year to 132 million units, while those in emerging markets are likely to fall by an even greater 11.3 percent to 182.1 million units.
IDC predicted a further 3.8 percent fall in global PC shipments next year, before eventually showing small growth in the long term. Based on current trends, global PC shipments in 2017 are likely to be around just 305.1 million units.
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