According to the Canalys research group, Lenovo took the top spot from Apple in the personal computer market (PCs) in the second quarter of 2015. Unlike most research groups, Canalys lists tablets such as the iPad in its tally of personal computers.
Apple had held the lead since the third quarter of 2014. Lenovo shipped just under 16 million PCs, some 240,000 more than Apple, giving it a 15% market share. The worldwide PC market fell 12% annually to 109.2 million units, with double-digit percentage declines affecting desktop, notebook and tablet shipments.
Apple, HP and Dell followed Lenovo, with marginal increases in their shares of the declining market. Samsung completed the top five, but experienced a slight dip in share as a result of slowing tablet sales and the scaling back of its participation in the notebook market.
“Apple and Lenovo lead the market in their home countries of the US and China respectively,” said Tim Coulling, Canalys senior analyst. “But Apple is heavily reliant on worldwide iPad shipments, which totaled 10.9 million units this quarter. iPads represented 70% of Apple’s total PC shipments in the second quarter, and these shipments have been falling year on year since peaking in quarter four of 2013.”
As for Lenovo, it controls almost 30% of the Chinese PC market and is steadily building its share in the U.S., says Canalys.
As for Apple, in its fiscal 2015 third quarter that ended June 27, the company sold 10.9 million iPads. That’s a year-over-year decline of 18% and the sixth straight quarter of declines. On a brighter note, Apple sold 4.8 million Macs. Sales — driven mainly by portables — were up 9% from the same period a year ago. The Mac has gained personal computer market share in all but one of the last 37 quarters.
