Q2 Laptop Demand Drops 15%... Declining Demand and Inflation Shock

Global Laptop PC Shipments Reach 55.5 Million Units in Q2
Chromebook Shipments Plunge 53% as Demand for Remote Education Declines

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] The laptop market, which experienced rapid growth last year due to the expansion of non-face-to-face services and a surge in remote work, has entered a recession again. The laptop market, which began to decline from the fourth quarter of last year, has sharply decreased this year. As major countries around the world are moving out of the COVID-19 impact zone, office returns are accelerating, demand for remote education is increasing, and concerns about the global inflation phenomenon are growing, the market is expected to shrink further in the second half of the year.

According to global market research firm Strategy Analytics (SA) on the 17th, worldwide laptop PC shipments in the second quarter totaled 55.5 million units, down 15% from the same period last year. The rapidly growing laptop market last year recorded shipments of 68 million units in the fourth quarter of 2021, marking a 1% decrease compared to the previous year, signaling a shift to a declining trend. In the first quarter, shipments were 63.5 million units, down 7% year-on-year, with the decline widening over time.

The performance of major laptop manufacturers also deteriorated simultaneously. Lenovo, the market share leader, saw shipments drop by 17%, while HP, ranked second, fell by 29%. Apple (-13%), Acer (-16%), and others (-9%) also experienced declines. Dell, ranked third, was the only company to limit the decrease to 1%, which is seen as a defensive success.

The decline in the laptop market is interpreted as a natural result of returning to pre-COVID-19 daily life. Global big tech companies such as Apple and Tesla have announced plans to push for office returns despite the resurgence of COVID-19 and strong employee opposition. Apple plans to fully implement a 'three-day office workweek' starting this September. Additionally, inflation has led to a reduction in overall consumption, delivering a direct blow to the market.

Analyst Craig Upadhyay noted, "Consumers have shifted their spending priorities to vacations, clothing purchases, and home repairs, and some have reduced consumption altogether due to concerns about inflation and economic recession," adding, "As large companies enforce office returns, demand for desktop PCs has increased."

In particular, the reduction in demand for remote education, which was activated by COVID-19, has dealt a blow to related sectors. Eric Smith, Director of Connected Computing, explained, "Chromebook shipments decreased by 53% year-on-year due to reduced educational demand this year," and added, "HP's sharp decline in performance, as a major supplier of educational PCs worldwide, is on the same line."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.