Canalys says supply chain problems meant fewer PCs shipped in Q1 despite demand

Research firm Canalys has released its quarterly estimates of global PC shipments for the first quarter, and despite an increase in demand, “severe production delays and logistical problems,” meant an 8 percent drop in shipments year after year. Both demand and delays are related to the coronavirus pandemic; While many people work remotely and students participate in distance learning due to stay-at-home directives, disruptions in the supply chain, especially in China, meant delays in computer shipments.

In Q1 2020, vendors shipped 53.7 million units, Canalys found. The new data estimates that Lenovo led the PC market, with 12.8 million units shipped in the first quarter, a 4.4 percent decrease year-over-year. HP shipped 11.7 million units, or 13.8 percent less than Q1 a year ago, and Dell shipped 10.5 million units, a slight 1.1 percent increase from the same period last year. According to Canalys estimates, Apple shipments decreased 21 percent year-on-year to 3.2 million units.

Canalys

Canalys analyst Ishan Dutt said that while production restrictions in China may have eased somewhat, the increase in PC demand is unlikely to continue in the second quarter or the rest of the year. “Few businesses will spend on technology for their offices, while many homes will have been newly equipped,” Dutt said in a statement.

The Canalys report estimates that growth in other home technologies, such as monitors and webcams, also increased in the first quarter. NPD Group reported a 179 percent increase in webcam sales during the first three weeks of March, leaving popular models exhausted at major retailers.