Worldwide PC shipments declined 5.2% in first quarter of 2015: Gartner

Sharp Decline of Desk-Based PCs Offsets Growth of Mobile PCs

Worldwide PC shipments totaled 71.7 million units in the first quarter of 2015, a 5.2% decline from the first quarter of 2014, according to preliminary results by Gartner, Inc.

"The PC industry received a boost in 2014 as many companies replaced their PCs due to the end of Windows XP support, but that replacement cycle faded in the first quarter of 2015," said Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner. "However, this decline is not necessarily a sign of sluggish overall PC sales long term. Mobile PCs, including notebooks, hybrid and Windows tablets, grew compared with a year ago. The first quarter results support our projection of a moderate decline of PC shipments in 2015, which will lead to a slow, consistent growth stage for the next five years.

"Desk-based PC shipments declined rapidly, with business desk-based PCs being impacted the most. Mobile PCs are being driven by a separate underlying replacement cycle, which led mobile growth in the first quarter. PC replacements will be driven by thin and light notebooks with tablet functionality. Our early study suggests strong growth of hybrid notebooks, especially in mature markets, in 1Q15."

Lenovo and HP were the only two vendors among the top five worldwide that experienced an increase in PC shipments in the first quarter of 2015 (see Table 1). Lenovo experienced its strongest growth in EMEA and the U.S. It has become one of the top providers of hybrid notebooks, especially its Yoga line in mature markets. HP performed moderately well in the first quarter, and it kept its top position in the U.S. and EMEA. HP increased share in the U.S., but in EMEA, the share delta from Lenovo, the second-largest vendor in the region, narrowed compared with 4Q14.

For the first time in six quarters, Dell experienced a worldwide PC shipment decline compared with a year ago. Dell was one of the vendors that benefited from replacement purchases due to the end of Windows XP support in 2014, but sales slowed as the replacement cycle faded.

Table 1: Preliminary Worldwide PC Vendor Unit Shipment Estimates for 1Q15 (Thousands of Units)Company 1Q15 Shipments 1Q15 Market Share (%) 1Q14 Shipments 1Q14 Market Share (%) 1Q15-1Q14 Growth (%)Lenovo 13,584 18.9 12,846 17 5.7HP 12,442 17.3 12,143 16 2.5Dell 9,038 12.6 9,527 12.6 -5.1ASUS 5,306 7.4 5,462 7.2 -2.9Acer 5,183 7.2 5,562 7.3 -6.8Others 26,179 36.5 30,153 39.8 -13.2Total 71,733 100 75,694 100 -5.2Notes: Data includes desk-based PCs, notebook PCs and premium ultramobiles. It excludes Chromebooks, Windows-based tablets with smaller than a 10-inch display, and other non-Windows-based tablets. All data is estimated based on a preliminary study. Final estimates will be subject to change.

"The first quarter results are not a sign doom for the U.S. market," Ms. Kitagawa said. "The biggest reason for the decline of PC shipments in the U.S. was attributed to the desktop market, which experienced a double-digit decline. This was primarily due to the end of the Windows XP replacement cycle. In contrast, mobile PC shipments in the U.S. continued to show year-over-year growth, and early results show this segment could have grown approximately 10% in the first quarter of 2015."

HP extended its lead in the U.S. market, as it accounted for 26.1% of shipments. Lenovo and ASUS showed the strongest growth among the top five vendors in the U.S., with shipment increases of 13.5 and 10.8% in the first quarter of 2015.

Table 2: Preliminary U.S. PC Vendor Unit Shipment Estimates for 1Q15 (Thousands of Units)Company 1Q15 Shipments 1Q15 Market Share (%) 1Q14 Shipments 1Q14 Market Share (%) 1Q15-1Q14 Growth (%)HP 3,627 26.1 3,504 24.9 3.5Dell 3,227 23.2 3,355 23.8 -3.8Apple 1,670 12 1,534 10.9 8.9Lenovo 1,645 11.8 1,449 10.3 13.5ASUS 996 7.2 899 6.4 10.8Others 2,730 19.6 3,340 23.7 -18.3Total 13,895 100 14,080 100 -1.3Notes: Data includes desk-based PCs, notebook PCs and premium ultramobiles. It excludes Chromebooks, Windows-based tablets with smaller than a 10-inch display, and other non-Windows-based tablets. All data is estimated based on a preliminary study. Final estimates will be subject to change.

Asia/Pacific PC shipments surpassed 24.3 million units in the first quarter of 2015, a 1.2% decline from the same period last year. The China PC market continues to drag down the overall regional average. In China, both consumer and commercial segments continue to be cautious with PC purchases. Desk-based PC shipments in Asia/Pacific declined 5.2% in the first quarter, but mobile PCs grew 3.7%.

These results are preliminary. Final statistics will be available soon to clients of Gartner's PC Quarterly Statistics Worldwide by Region program. This program offers a comprehensive and timely picture of the worldwide PC market, allowing product planning, distribution, marketing and sales organizations to keep abreast of key issues and their future implications around the globe.

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