The PC Market Enters Volatile 2025 on Strong Results, According to IDC
The PC market experienced a 4.9% growth in shipments in Q1 2025, reaching 63.2 million units, according to IDC. Despite strong commercial demand, uncertainty surrounding new US tariffs could lead to inflationary pressures and delayed IT spending. Key players include Lenovo, HP, Dell, Apple, and ASUS, with Lenovo leading the market share at 24.1%. The outlook for the remainder of 2025 remains challenging due to potential tariff impacts and global recession risks.
NEEDHAM, Mass., April 8, 2025 – PC shipments during the first quarter of 2025 grew 4.9% from the prior year, with global volumes reaching 63.2 million shipments, according to preliminary results from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker. Looking ahead to 2025, the PC industry has several tailwinds and headwinds, which make for a challenging outlook and difficult demand planning.
“The market is clearly showing some level of pull-in in the first quarter this year as both vendors and end-users brace for the impact of US tariffs. In a first quarter still relatively untouched by tariffs, the entire ecosystem attempted to accelerate the pace of deliveries to avoid the first round of US tariffs and expected volatility for the remainder of the year,” said Jean Philippe Bouchard, research vice-president with IDC's Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers. "Evidently, commercial demand remained strong in the first quarter, but the new round of US tariffs announced on April 2nd could have a direct inflationary impact on the PC market that could result in delayed IT spending for the remainder of the year”.
Most of the underlying demand factors for PCs, such as the installed base upgrade ahead of Windows 10 end of support, and demand for on-device AI, remain strong, as illustrated by the volumes shipped in Q1 2025. However, the uncertainty surrounding US tariffs and associated inflationary pressure and global recessionary risks will negatively impact demand for PCs in the following quarters in 2025.
“While many are still unpacking the details from the April 2nd tariff announcement, it’s safe to say most are reevaluating what the following months will look like,” said Ryan Reith, group vice president with IDC's Worldwide Device Trackers. “So far, our supply chain checks haven’t shown any drastic shifts, but this isn’t surprising as it’s almost too volatile to make drastic business decisions. Companies are undoubtedly evaluating everything from inventory on hand, capacity to manufacture by location, possible reroute opportunities to lower import tariffs, and for some, their deal discussions with the US administration. When it comes to hardware like PCs and similar devices, we still maintain the view that most (if not all) price increases will get passed directly to the consumer.”
Top 5 Companies, Worldwide Traditional PC Shipments, Market Share, and Year-Over-Year Growth, Q1 2025 (Preliminary results, shipments are in millions of units) | |||||
Company | 1Q25 Shipments | 1Q25 Market Share | 1Q24 Shipments | 1Q24 Market Share | 1Q25/1Q24 Growth |
1. Lenovo | 15.2 | 24.1% | 13.7 | 22.8% | 10.8% |
2. HP Inc | 12.8 | 20.2% | 12.0 | 20.0% | 6.1% |
3. Dell Technologies | 9.6 | 15.1% | 9.3 | 15.4% | 3.0% |
4. Apple | 5.5 | 8.7% | 4.8 | 8.0% | 14.1% |
5. ASUS | 4.0 | 6.3% | 3.6 | 6.0% | 11.1% |
Others | 16.2 | 25.6% | 16.8 | 27.9% | -3.6% |
Total | 63.2 | 100.0% | 60.2 | 100.0% | 4.9% |
Source: IDC Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker, April 8, 2025 |
Notes:
● IDC declares a statistical tie in the Personal Computing Device market when there is a difference
● of one-tenth of one percent (0.1%) or less in the shipment shares among two or more vendors. Traditional PCs include Desktops, Notebooks, and Workstations and do not include Tablets or x86 Servers. Detachable Tablets and Slate Tablets are part of the Personal Computing Device Tracker but are not addressed in this press release.
● Shipments include shipments to distribution channels or end users. OEM sales are counted under the company/brand under which they are sold.
IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker gathers detailed market data in over 90 countries. The research includes historical and forecast trend analysis, among other data. For more information or to subscribe to the research, please contact Jackie Kliem at 508-988-7984 or jkliem@idc.com.
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International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. With more than 1,300 analysts worldwide, IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology, IT benchmarking and sourcing, and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. IDC's analysis and insight helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based technology decisions and to achieve their key business objectives. Founded in 1964, IDC is a wholly owned subsidiary of International Data Group (IDG), the world's leading tech media, data, and marketing services company. To learn more about IDC, please visit www.idc.com. Follow IDC on Twitter at @IDC and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the IDC Blog for industry news and insights.
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