Why global PC shipments soared in the first quarter of 2022

Global PC shipments grew by 4% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2022, according to new data from market research firm Gartner. These new figures suggest that PCs are now one of the fastest growing industries, with every technology industry struggling to find its footing after the recent wave of automation and artificial intelligence technology. Still, PC shipment growth slowed considerably in comparison to last year’s 8% increase in shipments and 8% uptick in sales revenues. What factors contributed to this slowdown? And why did global PC shipments soar in the first quarter of 2022? Keep reading to find out…

United States

The United States is the world’s largest economy, and it is also one of the most stable. This makes it an attractive market for businesses, both domestic and foreign. In addition, the country has a large population and a high level of disposable income. All of these factors contributed to the strong growth in PC shipments in the first quarter of 2022. Manufacturers shipped more than 18 million PCs, up 13% from last year. Interestingly, U.S. consumers were buying many laptops instead of desktops this year, with laptop sales up 20%. It looks like more Americans are preferring mobile computing devices to stationary computers because they can be used at any time or place.

Also, laptops offer better portability as well as a lower price point compared to desktop models. For instance, HP’s Omen X Emperium gaming laptop offers gamers powerful performance and high-end features such as Nvidia G-Sync display technology and Tobii eye tracking at a starting price of $2,299. However, Apple doesn’t seem to share that view since their MacBook Pro models come with much higher prices (starting from $1,499).

South Korea

The pandemic has forced people all over the world to stay home, and that has meant more time spent on computers. So it’s no surprise that global PC shipments soared in the first quarter of 2021. What might be surprising is that laptop sales are still outpacing desktop sales, even though PCs are seen as the safer option for avoiding infection. In fact, netbook sales rose more than 20% in the last year alone as buyers flock to these tiny laptops with low-end specs. As a result, demand for cheap laptops from manufacturers like HP and Lenovo is up significantly.

Desktop sales have also surged, with many buyers choosing to buy two desktops (one for themselves and one for their children) instead of one computer each. But many analysts are worried about how long this trend will continue—will we soon go back to buying desktops once again? We’re just not sure what will happen when the pandemic dies down, says Jerry Chao, an analyst at Forrester Research. Will businesses return to their old ways and stop demanding so many laptops?

If so, then expect desktop sales to surge once again as well. And if this does happen, expect Windows 8 PCs to make a comeback; Windows 10 systems have been slow sellers because they’re too expensive for most people right now.

Other Asia Pacific Countries

It’s no secret that Asia Pacific countries are some of the most populous in the world. So, it’s no surprise that global PC shipments would soar when considering the number of people who live in these countries. The real question is: why did this happen in the first quarter of 2022 specifically? One explanation may be that a lot of Asian PC users were buying new laptops and desktops as a result of needing to replace old equipment or due to a lack of available equipment in their country. There was also an increase in laptop usage as an alternative to smartphones because phones became more expensive and data plans became more expensive.

Brazil, Russia, the Middle East and Africa

One of the reasons that global PC shipments soared in the first quarter of 2021 is because of Brazil, Russia, Middle East and Africa. The pandemic has driven e-commerce and remote work/learning, which has led to an increase in demand for PCs. Additionally, many people who were forced to stay home turned to gaming as a way to pass the time, driving up demand for gaming laptops.

For example, Lenovo’s 15-inch laptop with NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics card costs $1,499. In other words, the higher price of these laptops was more than compensated by their increased sales volume and profitability. Moreover, with prices going down in Europe after Brexit happened back in 2016, a lot more Europeans were able to buy computers. Furthermore, North America saw low unemployment rates coupled with good economic growth leading to high wages throughout most parts of the continent.