PC shipments fell 7.7 percent to 73.7 million units in the third quarter of 2015, according to IT market research agency Gartner.
IDC said PC shipments declined 10.8 percent to 71 million units.
The PC market has experienced 10 percent increase in price due to the sharp appreciation of the U.S. dollar against local currencies.
Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner, said: “These impacted regions, which include EMEA, Japan and Latin America, posted double-digit declines in the third quarter. Asia/Pacific and the U.S. were more stable.”
Microsoft Windows 10, launched in the third quarter of 2015, had minimal impact on shipments in the quarter.
Gartner analysts said the focus of the Windows launch in the quarter was to upgrade to Windows 10 on existing PCs, rather than new PCs. The Windows 10 rollout will ramp up in Q4 2015 holiday sales.
Positive news
Gartner’s 2015 personal technology survey said 50 percent of consumers intent to buy a PC in the next 12 months compared with 21 percent for tablet purchase intention.
IDC said Windows 10-boosted improved PC experience across user segments should drive longer-term demand for new PC hardware that is expected help stabilize the market in 2016 and beyond.
Top PC brands
Lenovo, the #1 PC brand, increased its market share to 20.3 percent, despite a 4 percent dip in the third quarter of 2015. EMEA and Japan were two challenging regions for Lenovo with double-digit declines, but they were offset by 22 percent growth in the U.S.
HP, the #2 PC brand, market share reached 18.5 percent, while shipments declined 4 percent. HP had weak shipments in EMEA, but they were offset by shipment growth in Asia Pacific and the U.S.
Dell, the No. 3 PC vendor, saw flat shipments. Dell did well in most regions, but it had a double-digit decline in shipments in Japan. In Asia Pacific and the U.S., Dell grew faster than the regional average.
IDC said the channel focused on clearing Windows 8 inventory before the launch of Windows 10 and Intel Skylake processors. Vendors and channels were also working to limit price swings in the face of changes in currency exchange rates.
Jay Chou, research manager, IDC Worldwide PC Tracker, said: “While PC shipments will be hampered in the short run by the availability of a free upgrade to Windows 10, the improved PC experience across user segments should drive longer-term demand for new PC hardware that is expected help stabilize the market in 2016 and beyond.”
Baburajan K
editor@infotechlead.com
