Global PC shipments see double-digit growth in third quarter as Covid-19 keep workers, students at home

The global PC market has posted back-to-back quarterly double digit growth rates as corporations and schools continue to invest in the transition to remote working and learning amid second and third waves of Covid-19 in many countries.

Global shipments of traditional PCs - comprising desktops, notebooks and workstations - grew 14.6 per cent year on year to 81.3 million units in the September quarter even as many vendors missed opportunities due to a sizeable backlog of unfulfilled orders, according to market research firm IDC.

“Consumer demand and institutional demand approached record levels in some cases,” said Jitesh Ubrani, research manager for IDC’s mobile device trackers. “Had the market not been hampered by component shortages, notebook shipments would have soared even higher during the third quarter as market appetite was yet unsatiated.”

In the second quarter global PC shipments grew 11.2 per cent year on year to 72.3 million units, according to IDC.

As the global pandemic rages on, continuity of business and online education remain at the forefront in many countries, a trend that has paid off for many PC vendors.

China’s Lenovo, the No 1 brand with a share of 23.7 per cent, saw 11.3 per cent growth in the third quarter as shipments surpassed 17.3 million. US vendor HP posted similar growth of 11.2 per cent to take second spot with 16.8 million units shipped, IDC’s data showed.