The market is recovering. Global PC sales have started to rise, but not thanks to AI

The supply of personal computers will grow by more than 2% this year. However, the growth in sales is by no means due to the appearance of generative artificial intelligence in PCs such as Microsoft Copilot+, analysts say.

The PC market is on the road to recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic. Global supply increased by 3% in the first and second quarters of 2024 — to 64.9 million units. Market analysts and experts predict further growth.

A new study by the International Data Corporation (IDC) shows that this is more likely to be related to the desire of users to upgrade their computers and the cessation of support for Windows 10 from October 14, 2025, and not advantages provided by modern computers with artificial intelligence, such as Copilot+ from Microsoft.

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"Although artificial intelligence has recently become a buzzword, it has not yet become a driving force among PC buyers. Companies certainly recognize the importance of artificial intelligence. … Meanwhile, consumers have yet to fully grasp the importance of the embedded Neural Processor (NPU) and likely need more education or assistance from OEMs», — says Jitesh Ubrani, research manager at Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers.

According to a new IDC forecast, shipments of personal computing devices will grow by 2.6% in 2024  compared with the previous year and will amount to 398.9 million units. At the same time, the global market excluding China will grow by 2.8% in 2024. Growth is also expected in the tablet market — by 7.2% annually. In 2025 currently, PC sales are forecast to grow by 4.3% year-over-year, primarily due to the end of support for Windows 10, which may also contribute to Apple's sales growth.