IDC: PC and tablet market to grow 3.8% in 2024

The global market for personal computing devices, including PCs and tablets, will grow 3.8% to 403.5 million units in 2024, according to a new forecast from IDC. PCs dominate, driven by AI-powered PC marketing and the impending end of Windows 10 support, but tablets lead the way, expected to see nearly double-digit growth this year.

Global tablet shipments are expected to grow 9.8% this year, outpacing PC growth of 0.8%. 2025 is expected to be a recovery year for PCs, with growth of 4.3% expected, driven by the commercial upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11.

The topic of artificial intelligence (AI) has dominated tech news over the past few years, with recent focus on on-device AI capabilities. With many companies’ budgets constrained due to the overall macro environment, companies continue to evaluate the need for AI-enabled PCs/tablets, which typically come at a higher cost.

"As PC and platform makers prepare to make AI-enabled PCs and tablets the next big thing, there appears to be a big disconnect between supply and demand, but a lack of clear use cases and soaring average selling prices have left buyers questioning the usefulness of AI," said Jitesh Ubrani, research manager at IDC's Worldwide Mobile Device Trackers. "It's now up to Microsoft, Apple, and Google to prove the need for local processing of AI to avoid a backlash from hardware makers and end users."

In addition to AI, there have been some recent tailwinds for the PC and tablet markets, most notably the end of support for Windows 10. This, coupled with an improving global economy, is helping to brighten the outlook for PCs and tablets. As a result, the commercial segment is expected to be a bright spot among the personal computing device categories, with an expected growth of 5.1% by 2025.

"Recently, commercial Windows PC replacement has been particularly evident in Japan, and will continue in the coming quarters," said Bryan Ma, vice president of devices research at IDC. "Another notable bright spot is the rise of tablets from Chinese phone vendors, who have found the sweet spot of premium products under $300, which should continue to drive the market in China and many parts of Asia."