Snapshot: PCs and Tablets Continue to Plummet

The forecast for PCs and tablets continues to get gloomier.

According to market research firm International Data Corporation (IDC), worldwide, shipments of tablets and traditional PCs combined will drop 15.2% from last year.

Traditional PCs (desktops, laptops, and workstations) will fare better than tablets and are expected to decline to 250.8 million shipments this year, down 14.1% from last year. By 2027, IDC predicted, PCs will hit 289.2 million units, a 3.6% compound annual growth rate (CAGR).

Tablets will decline 17.1% this year to 134 million units. That figure will reach 135.8 million in 2027, a sluggish CAGR of 0.3%.

Combined PC and tablet shipments are predicted to grow from 384.8 million units this year to 403.1 million in 2024.

"As the global economy has continued to struggle, consumers have tightened spending and commercial buyers are delaying purchases," said Jitesh Ubrani, research manager for IDC Mobility and Consumer Device Trackers. "Consumer demand is at risk of perishing as they revert to pre-pandemic habits where the PC wasn't at the center of their daily computing needs, However, commercial buying is expected to ramp up during 2024 and will help the PC market grow beyond pre-pandemic levels."

Further details can be found in IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Computing Device Tracker and Mobility and Consumer Device Tracker.

About the Author

David Nagel is the former editorial director of 1105 Media's Education Group and editor-in-chief of THE Journal, STEAM Universe, and Spaces4Learning. A 30-year publishing veteran, Nagel has led or contributed to dozens of technology, art, marketing, media, and business publications.

He can be reached at [email protected]. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidrnagel/ .


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