TECHNOLOGY analysts have noted declines in the shipment of personal computers (PCs) in the Asia-Pacific region, with elections in the Philippines contributing to the decrease in sales.
Gartner Inc. said PC shipments totaled 22.7 million units in the second quarter of the year, which is a 6.3-percent decline from the second quarter of 2015.
The International Data Corp. (IDC), on the other hand, didn’t cite figures, except for saying that the Asia-Pacific PC market, which excludes Japan, witnessed a decline, in line with expectations. Gartner said “a stagnant economy in the region put pressure on discretionary spending.” Smartphones ranked as a higher priority to purchase than PCs, the information-technology (IT) industry analyst said.
“There were election activities in Australia, the Philippines and South Korea, which created a lull in IT spending from the government sector,” Gartner said.
IDC, meanwhile, said the “weakness in consumer demand continued in most countries across the region.” It cited the observance of Ramadhan as having affected consumer spending, “while high inventory inhibited new shipments.”
“Also, a number of commercial projects in India, Thailand and the Philippines have been postponed until the next quarter,” IDC said.
According to IDC, worldwide PC shipments totaled 62.4 million units in the second quarter of the year. The figure represents a year-on-year decline of 4.5 percent, beating the IDC forecast of negative 7.4 percent by roughly 3 percent.
Gartner’s view of PC shipments worldwide in the second quarter of the year was higher at 64.3 million units. The figure represents a 5.2-percent decline from the second quarter of 2015. This was the seventh consecutive quarter of PC shipment declines, according to Gartner. However, it said its analysts believe the market is showing some signs of improvement.
Both Gartner and IDC cited Lenovo Corp. as maintaining its leadership in worldwide PC shipments in the second quarter of the year.
In Asia Pacific Lenovo’s shipments declined, but the decline was less than the overall average in the region, according to Gartner.
Lenovo’s lead in the share of total PC shipments shrunk over the past year, from 1.8 percent a year ago to 0.4 percent this quarter, IDC said.