PC Shipments Grew 3.1 Percent in 4Q21

Global PC shipments reached 90.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2021 to maintain their growth momentum at 3.1%, according to Counterpoint Research. The situation on the component supply and logistic fronts continued to improve but at a slow pace.

The shipment forecast for 1Q22 remains optimistic, mainly due to a solid demand and improving component supply. OEMs and ODMs are also expecting some easing of pressure on PC components. In 4Q21, the supply gap for the most important PC components, such as power management IC, Wi-Fi, and I/O interface IC, narrowed. Both OEMs and ODMs will continue to accumulate component inventory to cope with uncertainties cropping from COVID-19.

Lenovo continued to lead the global PC market with a 24% share, slightly shy of its share in 4Q20 but still having its highest unit sales in 2021 at 21.7 million. HP took a 20.5% share with 1% growth driven by the easing of component shortage. Dell posted a 15% growth in the quarter riding on the strong momentum from its commercial/premium product strategy. Apple’s shipments remained largely unchanged thanks to the M1 Macbook’s success. On the other hand, Asus saw single-digit growth in Q4, while Acer saw a single-digit decline with market shares of 6.8% and 6.7%, respectively.