Global PC shipments decline for 13 consecutive quarters
HP Reclaims No. 1 Spot with 22.5% Market Share

Gartner tentatively announced that preliminary global PC shipments for the fourth quarter of 2017 are expected to reach 71.6 million units, a 2% decrease from the same period last year, and that total PC shipments for 2017 will fall by 2.8% to over 262.5 million units. This marks the 13th consecutive quarter of decline in global PC shipments.

Gartner Senior Research Analyst Mikako Kitagawa stated, “In the fourth quarter of 2017, PC shipments in the Asia-Pacific, Japan, and Latin America regions increased, but there was a slight decline in Europe and the Middle East and Africa regions,” and added, “A sharp drop in PC shipments in the U.S. market offset the positive results in other regions.”

He continued, "The fourth-quarter results reflect the fact that PCs are no longer a preferred holiday gift, but this does not mean that PCs will disappear from homes in the future," adding, "PCs will rather become more professional and goal-oriented devices. Going forward, PC buyers will prefer products that consider both quality and functionality rather than the lowest-priced items. This will lead to an increase in the average selling price of PCs and improve profitability in the long term." "However, until it reaches this point, the PC market will have to go through a contraction phase due to a decline in users," he explained.

HP reclaimed the top spot in the fourth quarter of 2017 with a 6.6% increase in PC shipments and a total market share of 22.5%. HP recorded year-over-year growth across all regions, including the United States, where market conditions were challenging. Lenovo recorded a decline in PC shipments for the fourth consecutive quarter, as shipments increased in the EMEA and Asia-Pacific regions but decreased in North America. yle="width:16%; text-align:center;">6.6 <td style="width:16%; text-align:center;">7.4

Company Name	Q4 2017 shipments	Q4 2017 Market Share (%)	Q4 2016 shipments	Q4 2016 Market Share (%)	Year-on-year growth (%)
HP	16,076	22.5	15,084	20.7
Lenovo	15,742	22.0	15,857	21.7	-0.7
Dell	10,841	15.2	10,767	14.7	0.7
apple	5,449	7.6	5,374	1.4
Asus	4,731	6.6	5,336	7.3	-11.3
Acer Group	4,726	6.6	4,998	6.8	-5.4
Others	13,990	19.6	15,599	21.4	-10.3
aggregate	71,556	100.0	73,015	100.0	-2.0

Dell recorded a slight increase in PC shipments in the fourth quarter of 2017, performing well in the EMEA, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America regions but showing poor results in North America. Dell generally prioritizes profitability over market share.

Significant decrease in PC shipments in the US market

U.S. PC shipments in the fourth quarter of 2017 totaled approximately 15.2 million units. Four out of the top five PC vendors saw a decline in shipments within the U.S. market during the fourth quarter. HP was the only company to show an increase this quarter. PC shipments declined due to low consumer demand, despite the year-end sales season.

Senior Researcher Kitagawa stated, "Although the U.S. consumer confidence index was high in the fourth quarter of 2017, it did not affect PC demand, while voice-assisted speakers and newly released smartphones gained popularity." "Although they cannot compete with these products, gaming PCs and high-performance PCs have seen continuous growth," he explained. "width:16%; text-align:center;">1.6le="width:16%; text-align:center;">14.2t-align:center;"> 100.0

Company Name	Q4 2017 shipments	Q4 2017 Market Share (%)	Q4 2016 shipments	Q4 2016 Market Share (%)	Year-on-year growth (%)
HP	5,130	33.7	5,049	30.5
Dell	3,691	24.3	4,209	25.4	-12.3
apple	1,972	13.0	2,003	12.1	-1.6
Lenovo	1,792	11.8	2,344	-23.6
Acer Group	587	3.9	661	4.0	-11.2
etc	2,042	13.4	2,276	13.8	-10.3
aggregate	15,214	16,543	100.0	-8.0

PC shipments in the EMEA region in the fourth quarter of 2017 totaled 21.8 million units, down 1.4% from the previous year. PC demand in the UK remained low, and shipments to Germany were lower than expected. PC sales in Western Europe are expected to increase annually. The average selling price (ASP) rose due to exchange rate fluctuations, price adjustments by vendors resulting from increased component costs, and a shift in product mix toward high-end items such as gaming systems and high-performance laptops.

In the fourth quarter of 2017, the Asia-Pacific PC market recorded a total of 25 million units, up 0.6% from the fourth quarter of 2016. Online promotions in many countries drove demand for gaming PCs and thin, light laptops, which stabilized the consumer market. China saw an increase in PC shipments for the first time since the first quarter of 2012. The Chinese PC market recorded 1.1% growth driven by Singles' Day, the country's largest shopping festival on November 11, and sustained PC demand from the enterprise market.

Global PC shipments in 2017 totaled 262.5 million units, down 2.8% from 2016. As the PC market continues to consolidate, the top four companies accounted for 64% of global PC shipments in 2017. In 2011, the top four companies accounted for 45% of global PC shipments.

"Leader companies are leveraging their large business scale to lower production costs and drive small and medium-sized enterprises out of the market," said Senior Researcher Kitagawa. ;">58,435

Company Name	Q4 2017 shipments	Q4 2017 Market Share (%)	Q4 2016 shipments	Q4 2016 Market Share (%)	Year-on-year growth (%)
HP	55,162	21.0	52,734>	19.5	4.6
Lenovo	54,714	20.8	55,951	20.7	-2.2
Dell	39,871	15.2	39,421	14.6	1.1
apple	19,299	7.4	18,546	6.9	4.1
Asus	17,967	6.8	20,496	7.6	-12.3
Acer Group	17,088	6.5	18,274	6.8	-6.5
etc	22.3	64,683	23.9	-9.7
aggregate	262,537	100.0	270,106	100.0	-2.8