IDC: PC Shipments Beat Expectations in Q2 2016

According to the IDC Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker, worldwide PC shipments totaled 62.4 million units in the second quarter of 2016 (2Q16), a year-on-year decline of 4.5%, beating the forecast of -7.4% by roughly 3%. Another good news is that the United States market performed best, reflecting the strength of the U.S. dollar and relative market stability.

IDC mentioned that improvement in channel inventories have contributed to the stronger results, along with an easier year-on-year comparison and easing of component supply. Commercial evaluations of Windows 10 remain healthy and a near-term driver that could also be contributing to the relative strength in U.S. shipments.

“As expected, the start of the peak education buying season helped generate large Chromebook shipment volumes in the U.S.,” stated Linn Huang, research director, Devices & Displays. “A somewhat unexpected boost came from intensified inventory pull-in as cautious channel players, who had been working to pare down inventory over the last several quarters, opened up inventory constraints a bit. This was likely a one-time shipment boost to bring aggregate inventory levels back to market equilibrium. The larger story remains whether an early wave of enterprise transition to Windows 10 could help close out a 2016 that is increasingly looking stronger in the U.S.”

Lenovo remained the worldwide PC market leader, and continued its strong growth in the U.S. market. IDC also anticipates that the expiration of free Windows 10 upgrades may transition some customers into buying new PCs rather than updating older ones.

Read the full report from the source link below.