KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 16): Global PC shipments dipped 5% year-on-year (y-o-y) in the fourth quarter of 2021 to 88.4 million units.

In its preliminary results released last week, technology research and consulting firm Gartner Inc said this was the first y-o-y decline following six consecutive quarters of growth.

It said for the year, PC shipments reached 339.8 million units in 2021, a 9.9% increase from 2020.

Gartner Research Director Mikako Kitagawa said a sharp decline in the US PC market, caused by ongoing supply chain issues and the collapse in demand for Chromebooks, drove this quarter’s slowdown.

“This likely signifies the end of the massive and unexpected growth in PC demand triggered by the pandemic,” she said.

Kitagawa however, said the fourth quarter’s (4Q) decline only slightly tempered the PC market’s growth in 2021, which saw the highest shipment volume since 2013.

“During the pandemic, shipment growth has been supported by an average selling price hike, resulting in higher revenues and a healthier market overall.

“As a result, annual PC shipment volumes are not expected to decline to pre-pandemic levels for at least two to three years,” she said.

Gartner said the top three vendors in the worldwide PC market remained unchanged in 4Q2021, with Lenovo maintaining the No 1 spot in shipments.

Kitagawa said the pandemic significantly changed business and consumer PC user behaviour, as people had to adopt to new ways of working and living.

“Post-pandemic, some of the newly established ways of using PCs will remain regular practice, such as remote or hybrid workstyles, taking online courses and communicating with friends and family online,” she said.