RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – Lenovo remains the No. 1 seller of personal computers worldwide with a 7 percent year-over-year increase in sales improving its global market share to 24.6 percent.
That’s as one percentage point increase over the third quarter performance of a year ago, according to research firm IDC but slightly less than its share in the second quarter. Lenovo has topped global PC sales now for more than a year.
Gartner and Canalys reported similar figures with Canalys saying quartertly PC growth in terms of percentage was the highest since 2012,
Lenovo shipped 17.3 million units as customers worldwide stepped up buying for a number of reasons – from Windows updates to trying to beat price increases from tariffs as the trade war between the US and China intensifies.
“Nearly 1 of every 4 PCs shipped during the quarter were from Lenovo or one of its subsidiaries as the company once again managed to hold the top position in the market,” IDC noted.
“The company’s strong push in EMEA and Japan, along with a notable commercial presence, helped cement it as the leader during the quarter.”
Gartner’s Mikako Kitagawa, senior principal research analyst at Gartner, explained the reasons for increasing sales:
IDC graphic
“The Windows 10 refresh cycle continued to be the primary driver for growth across all regions, although the magnitude of the impact varied according to local market conditions and the stage of the refresh cycle.
“For example, in Japan, PC shipments grew 55% in the third quarter of 2019, driven by the Windows 10 refresh cycle and a pending sales tax change. This strong growth helped propel the total worldwide PC market to growth.”
However, No. 2 HP drew a bit closer to Lenovo, driving its share up to 23.8 percent with 16.8 million units shipped. A year ago IDC notes HP’s market share stood at 15.4 percent.
No. 3 Dell grew its share as well to 12.1 percent from 11.5 percent.
Apple, Acer and other PC manufacturers saw a decline in shipments, IDC noted.
