PC market set to bounce back in 2018 - Gartner

High-end devices set to shine, but outlook remains gloomy for traditional PCs

Gartner forecasts a return to growth for the PC market in 2018 driven by an increased demand for high-end products.

The analyst slates worldwide PC shipments to be 263 million in 2017 (down 2.5 per cent from 2016), but anticipates a jump of 0.8 per cent in 2018 to 265 million and further jump to 269 million in 2019.

Premium devices are set to see strong growth over the period from 2016 to 2019, jumping 62 per cent to 81 million.

Traditional PCs, including laptops and notebooks, will retain the lion's share of the market but will drop 14.5 per cent over the same period to 188 million, Gartner predicts.

Ranjit Atwal, research director at Gartner, said: "The misconception persists that the world has gone mobile and relies solely on smartphones.

"However, our latest online end-user survey shows that users depend just as much on PCs or tablets as they do on smartphones.

"Despite the fact that prices have been rising due to higher component costs, Windows 10 replacements have kept the PC market relatively stable through 2017.

"Users holding onto their PCs for longer remains a major issue for the PC market."

Gartner attributed the return to growth to uptake in Russia and China - claiming that the Russian PC market is stronger as a result of "an upturn in the country's economic prospects," while in China Microsoft is working with the government on an approved version of Windows 10, which should drive sales.

Gartner also predicts growth in the smartphone space, with shipments set to rise two per cent to 1.9 billion over the 2016-2019 period.

James Longworth, solution architecture manager at Insight UK, said the Gartner forecast proves that laptops and PCs will remain integral to enterprises.

"These latest predictions from Gartner highlight that laptops are here to stay," he said. "Indeed, while mobile phones do offer greater flexibility, the truth is they cannot completely replace PCs.

"When it comes to enterprises that are looking to refresh their tech portfolio for the year ahead, there is more to decide on than between mobile or desktop.

"The rapidly evolving technology sector has allowed organisations to leverage disruptive technologies to enhance their workforce productivity and ensure a secure working environment wherever they may be."