New research has found that computer sales have declined as we approach the holiday season, but there may be some positives that could indicate a shift in the way we think about computers.
U.S. desktop, notebook and workstation shipments fell 12% in the third quarter of 2022, compared to the same period last year, according to findings from research firm Canalys.
Notebooks saw the most significant decline, which Canalys attributes to “prudent business spending”, in addition to a decline in consumer demand.
Computer sales 2022
The report said fewer people wanted to buy tablets as well, which may be partly due to heavily inflated prices in recent months.
While Apple’s updated flagship 12.9-inch iPad Pro remained unchanged at $1,099 in the US, costs in other markets increased significantly with the introduction of the M2, with UK prices rising from £999 to £1,249.
Canalys analyst Brian Lynch explains that “the previously resilient commercial segment has begun to weaken, recording its first year-on-year decline in 2022.”
Lynch continues, “Looking ahead, the US PC market will face further headwinds…Despite the holiday season in the fourth quarter, the market will suffer further decline.”
Apple by far moved the most units in the third quarter of 2022, but Canalys research reveals that many of those shifts included unrealized sales from previous quarters coupled with specific demand for newly launched high-end M2-powered devices.
iPads also accounted for more than half of sales, helping Dell maintain its market leadership position with the largest share of desktop and notebook sales, followed by HP in third place.
While the news seems grim for traditional computing devices, it could be a sign of a shift in trends towards more portable devices. Amazon’s tablet sales were up 19.5% year-on-year, closing the gap between it and Apple, which was shifting its focus away from budget models. TCL saw a 133.2% increase in tablet market share, selling around 600,000 units compared to around 200,000.
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