The PC market managed to beat analysts' expectations in the first quarter of 2018, as desktop and notebook sales reached 60.4 million units, representing solid year-over-year growth.
PC sales were initially expected by IDC to decline by 1.5%, but strong performances from some companies, including HP and Dell, helped the industry achieve better-than-expected sales in larger markets.
“Demand for premium laptops in both the consumer and commercial sectors helped major vendors create even better profit margins while also piquing buyer interest,” IDC said in its first-quarter analysis.
HP continued to be the top OEM during the quarter, with total shipments of 13.6 million units, up from 13.1 million units shipped in the first quarter of 2017. HP currently holds a 22.6% market share.
Lenovo remained in first place despite a 0.0% growth, but with strong sales of 12.3 million units. Dell is in third place with 10.1 million units and a 16.9% share, while Acer saw a decline in its share during the quarter, selling only 4 million devices.
Apple saw a 4.8% decline, according to IDC, and sold just 4 million units in the first quarter of the year, making it the fifth-largest PC maker. It now has a 6.6% market share, compared to 7.0% in the same period last year.
IDC reports that Dell was the company that “posted the strongest annual growth of all major companies, reaching 6.4%, recording strong performances in almost every region.”.
In the coming quarters, demand for new PCs is likely to remain flat or grow slightly, and IDC explains that sales in the gaming industry are also on the rise. Premium notebooks saw significant growth in the first quarter of this year, and the company estimates that the largest vendors will continue to benefit from strong performance in this sector through 2020.
