Tablets, smartphones push global PC shipments down in Q1 '13
12 Apr 2013
Global personal computer (PC) shipments fell 11.2 per cent to 79.2 million units in the first quarter of 2013, compared with the same period a year ago, the lowest since the second quarter of 2009.
All shipments fell across all regions, with the Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region posting the steepest decline, according to a study by research and analysis firm Gartner.
In Asia-Pacific (APAC), PC shipments fell 10.3 per cent to 27.6 million units during the period under review, compared with the same period of 2012, as buyers remained cautious spending amid a fragile economic environment. Both China and India experienced year-over-year shipment falls, the report added.
"This is the fourth consecutive quarter that showed a drop in worldwide PC shipments. Consumers are migrating content consumption from PCs to other connected devices such as tablets and smartphones. Even emerging markets, where PC penetration is low, are not expected to be a strong growth area for PC vendors," said Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner.
However, the professional PC market, which accounts for about half of overall PC shipments, witnessed growth, driven by continuing PC refreshes.
Virtual tie
HP and Lenovo were in a virtual tie for the top position in the first quarter of 2013. HP recorded its worst shipment decline during the quarter, since its acquisition of Compaq in 2003. HP's consumer business has negatively affected its overall shipment volume, but its professional business was also under attack by competitors.
Lenovo's worldwide PC shipments were flat compared with the year ago period. While its shipment growth rate exceeded the overall industry average, Lenovo posted its slowest growth since the first quarter of 2009. The slowdown was attributed to a shipment decline in APAC, where more than 50 per cent of Lenovo's PCs were shipped.
Dell also had a challenging quarter, registering a shipment decline in all regions except Japan. Dell's shipment growth in Japan was boosted by moderate demand, driven by a corporate refresh. Dell's discussions about a possible leveraged buyout impacted shipments, as competitors aggressively attacked Dell's position in the professional market.
US sales decline
In the US market, PC shipments totalled 14.2 million units in the first quarter of 2013, a 9.6 per cent decline from the first quarter of 2012. It marked a record of six consecutive quarters of shipment declines.
"Although the overall economy had some upward momentum, it did not help buoy PC growth, suggesting the economic recovery is having little impact on PC market conditions. Similar to other mature markets, the US will see the installed base of consumer PCs decrease going forward. This is because many of these systems will not be replaced with PCs; they will be displaced by other devices, or simply retired,'' Kitagawa said.
Apple and Lenovo were the only vendors among the top five in the US to record growth in PC shipments during the quarter. HP held onto the top position, accounting for 24.2 per cent of PC shipments in the US; however, its shipments declined 23.3 per cent from the first quarter of 2012.
EMEA shipments
PC shipments in EMEA totalled 23.3 million units in the first quarter of 2013, a 16-per cent decline from the same period last year. It was the third consecutive quarter of declining shipments, and it was the steepest decline for the region since Gartner began tracking the region. Ongoing economic uncertainties in Southern European countries resulted in lower spending in those markets. Similar to other regions, consumers' interest continues to focus on smartphones and tablets, rather than PCs.
In Asia-Pacific, PC shipments totalled 27.6 million units in the first quarter of 2013, a 10.3 per cent decline from the first quarter of 2012. This region also experienced its strongest decline since Gartner began tracking PC shipments. The APAC buyers remained cautious in spending amid a fragile economic environment. Both China and India experienced year-over-year shipment declines.
Preliminary worldwide PC vendor unit shipment estimates for 1Q13 (unit sales)
| Company | 1Q13 Shipments | 1Q13 Market Share (%) | 1Q12 Shipments | 1Q12 Market Share (%) | 1Q12-1Q13 Growth (%) |
| HP | 11,687,778 | 14.8 | 15,301,906 | 17.2 | -23.6 |
| Lenovo | 11,666,400 | 14.7 | 11,652,664 | 13.1 | 0.1 |
| Dell | 8,734,892 | 11.0 | 9,838,121 | 11.0 | -11.2 |
| Acer Group | 6,843,184 | 8.6 | 9,582,046 | 10.9 | -29.3 |
| Asus | 5,360,470 | 6.8 | 5,552,329 | 6.2 | -3.5 |
| Others | 34,914,286 | 44.1 | 37,170,712 | 41.7 | -6.1 |
| Total | 79,207,010 | 100.0 | 89,197,778 | 100.0 | -11.2 |
Note: Data includes desk-based PCs and mobile PCs, including mini-notebooks but not media tablets such as the iPad.
Source: Gartner (April 2013)
Preliminary US PC vendor unit shipment estimates for 1Q13 (unit sales)
| Company | 1Q13 Shipments | 1Q13 Market Share (%) | 1Q12 Shipments | 1Q12 Market Share (%) | 1Q13-1Q12 Growth (%) |
| HP | 3,447,894 | 24.2 | 4,493,572 | 28.5 | -23.3 |
| Dell | 2,956,661 | 20.8 | 3,459,925 | 28.5 | -14.5 |
| Apple | 1,650,012 | 11.6 | 1,535,951 | 9.8 | 7.4 |
| Toshiba | 1,278,883 | 9.0 | 1,349,900 | 8.6 | -5.3 |
| Lenovo | 1,265,902 | 8.9 | 1,112,582 | 7.1 | 13.8 |
| Others | 3,623,468 | 25.5 | 3,788,927 | 24.1 | -4.4 |
| Total | 14,222,820 | 100.0 | 15,740,856 | 100.0 | -9.6 |
Note: Data includes desk-based PCs and mobile PCs, including mini-notebooks but not media tablets such as the iPad.
Source: Gartner (April 2013)
