Global volumes of the notebook personal computer (PC) market were down -15% year-on-year in the second quarter, according to a new report by Strategy Analytics . Apple did slightly better than most other laptop makers.
The company’s Mac laptops barely outperformed the total market as it faced supply constraints during the quarter. Shipments reached 4.8 million MacBooks during the second quarter. That’s a -13% loss from quarter two of 2021 and -21% from quarter one of 2022. (Strategy Analytics doesn’t count iPads or other tablets as laptops.)
Despite challenges such as inflation, laptop sales and average pricing are much better for all vendors compared to pre-COVID times and this trend will continue as customers are purchasing more premium products, notes the research group.
“Consumer spending is now taking other priorities such as holiday, new clothes, and home improvement, while some are also taking financial precautions due to inflation and recession fears,” says Strategy Analytics analyst Chiraq Upadhyay. “The commercial business still looks solid compared to pre-pandemic level as SMB business continues to improve and provide the best hybrid working solutions, while some large enterprises are still leaning towards desktop PCs, including popular workstations, as people return to offices. We will see consumer spending improve a little bit in education in quarter three as shoppers want to get their hands on the latest laptops and huge back-to-school discounts.”
