Worldwide PC shipments reached 79.4 million units in Q3, down 0.5% year-on-year, Gartner estimates.
“Growth in the mature markets was offset by a decline in shipments in emerging markets, similar to what was seen in the second quarter of 2014,” said Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner.
“Positive results in Western Europe and North America can be a sign of gradual recovery for the PC industry,” said Kitagawa.
She said consumers’ attention is slowly going back to PC purchases as tablet adoption peaked with mainstream consumers. The transition from PCs to tablets has faded as tablet penetration has reached the 40%-50% range.
Kitagawa said that, in contrast, weakness in the emerging market reflects the saturation in selected consumer segments where they can afford PCs. In the meantime, consumers who don’t have PCs will likely buy low priced tablet.
She added that this is a one of the major reasons for the slow growth in PC shipments in the emerging market.
Lenovo extended its position as the worldwide leader in PC shipments, as it accounted for 19.8% of the market. Lenovo had year-over-year growth in Asia Pacific, despite the region showing a decline overall.
“Consumers’ wallets were gradually coming back to PCs, although back-to-school sales season was not exceptional,” Kitagawa said.
“More availability of affordable touch-based laptops, price drops of thin and light laptops, and 2-in-1 hybrid laptops will attract consumers this holiday season,” she added.