2023 was the worst yr in PC industry history, however there is motive to be positive in 2024

Last year become now not an awesome one for the PC marketplace, with one analyst organization calling it the industry's worst ever 365 days. However, the final quarter of 2023 presented reasons to be optimistic going ahead. That's a great cause for PC companies to celebrate, however the much less welcome news for consumers is that SSD charges are predicted to growth a large 50% this year as NAND prices upward push.

Starting with analyst organization Gartner, it writes that 2023 changed into the worst year in records for the PC industry, with shipments down 14.8% year-over-12 months. Worldwide PC shipments were at 241.8 million gadgets in 2023, dropping from 284 million gadgets in 2022.

While it's devastating for the industry, there has been a glimmer of hope in the fourth zone of 2023. Global shipments elevated zero.Three% compared to a yr earlier, finishing a series of declining quarterly shipments stretching lower back years.

When it comes to man or woman companies, Lenovo led the market in 2023 with a near 25% proportion. It changed into observed by HP, Dell, Apple, Asus, and Acer. HP had the great displaying closing yr, with shipments falling 'simply' 4.Five%. Dell had the worst one year, down 19.5%.

Looking at regional markets, Gartner writes that the USA PC market recorded its first yr-over-year growth in Q4 seeing that the second one area of 2021, with a 1.8% increase inside the fourth region of 2023 - a decline in computers offset laptop boom. HP saved its pinnacle spot inside the US, observed by using Dell and Apple.

Moving onto the other big analyst firm, IDC, it has international PC shipments down thirteen.Nine% ultimate year. That's just like Gartner's estimates, however IDC believes the fourth area of 2023 noticed shipments decline, with the aid of 2.7%.

Both businesses agree that the PC marketplace reached a nadir in 2023 following its pandemic-era boom, but it's miles sooner or later showing symptoms of healing. "Inventory become normalized within the fourth quarter of 2023, which had been an problem plaguing the enterprise for two years. This subtle increase suggests that demand and supply are sooner or later balanced. However, this situation will in all likelihood change because of the predicted aspect rate hike 2024, in addition to geopolitical and financial uncertainties," stated Mikako Kitagawa, Director Analyst at Gartner. "Gartner initiatives that the PC market will go back to annual boom in 2024."

The thing price hike that Kitagawa mentions probably refers to SSDs. We heard in December that NAND flash prices have been predicted to boom by way of at least 50% with businesses slowing down manufacturing of NAND and DRAM chips to help stabilize fees and clean out inventory.