PC shipments continue to drop after COVID pushes sales high

PC shipments have yet to reach the all-time highs of 2020 and 2021, amid the COVID pandemic, as many people bought new devices to work from home. And in 2023, shipments are expected to drop another 13.7% year on year to 252 million PCs, according to the latest tracking figures from International Data Corporation released on Monday.

But the steady decline since the pandemic may be coming to an end: Shipments are expected to reach 261.4 million PCs next year, according to IDC.

Part of this continued decline is due to PCs now competing with smaller smart devices like phones, tablets, and game consoles.

“Consumer demand remains tepid at best as the segment continues to face economic headwinds,” said Jitesh Ubrani, research director for IDC Mobility and Consumer Device Trackers.

Artificial intelligence is also affecting PC purchasing decisions within enterprises, including whether to postpone purchasing new computers until they are better equipped for AI tasks, according to IDC.

“The introduction of generative AI has all IT decision-makers wondering where to prioritize budgets,” IDC said. “Even though AI-enabled PCs aren’t ready today, they are coming.”

If you’re looking for a new PC, here are the best budget laptops for 2023, the best 15-inch laptops for work and gaming, and the best laptops for college.