Lenovo-led global PC shipments grew 2.3% in Q4 2019: Gartner

With a 23.8 per cent market share Lenovo dominated the worldwide PC shipments that totalled 70.6 million units in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2019, a 2.3 per cent increase from Q4 of 2018, a report by Gartner Inc. said on Tuesday.

For the year 2019, PC shipments surpassed 261 million units, showing a 0.6 per cent growth from 2018.

"The PC market experienced growth for the first time since 2011, driven by vibrant business demand for Windows 10 upgrades, particularly in the US, EMEA and Japan," Mikako Kitagawa, Senior Principal Analyst at Gartner, said in a statement.

HP Inc. grabbed the second spot with a market share of 22.2 per cent, followed by Dell with 15.7 market share in Q4, 2019. Lenovo, HP Inc. and Dell accounted for nearly 65 per cent of PC shipments in Q4, 2019, up from just more than 61 per cent in Q4, 2018.

Despite these chip constraints, the top three vendors increased their combined market share through 2019 to the highest level since Gartner began tracking PC data.

"We expect this growth to continue through this year even after Windows 7 support comes to an end this month, as many businesses in emerging regions such as China, Eurasia and the emerging Asia/Pacific have not yet upgraded," Kitagawa added.

Lenovo maintained its No. 1 position in the global PC market and widened its share over HP Inc. With the exception of the Asia/Pacific, Lenovo recorded year-over-year growth in all regions. In the US alone, Lenovo's desktop PC shipments rose more than 30 per cent compared with a year ago.

HP Inc. experienced its third quarter in a row of year-over-year shipment growth, and kept its top position in the US, EMEA and Latin America. However, it is facing aggressive competition from Lenovo and Dell.

Dell finished the Q4, 2019 with a record number of shipments, exceeding 12 million units for the first time since Gartner started tracking PC shipments. Dell's shipments grew year-over-year in all regions at a much higher rate compared with the regional average, due in large part to its particularly strong desktop PC growth.

The US PC market grew 4.6 per cent in Q4, 2019 with double-digit growth of desktop PCs for the first time since 2014.

"The fourth quarter is typically a strong buying season for small and mid size businesses (SMBs) that want to maximise their spending before the tax year ends," noted Kitagawa.