Apple has lost the lead in computer sales thanks to rival Lenovo. According to a recent report from Canalys, Lenovo shipped nearly 16 million PCs during the second quarter, giving the company a 15% market share boost and earning it a quarter million more than Apple. Senior analyst Tim Coulling explained that both companies lead the computer markets in their respective home countries, but Apple relies mostly on iPad sales. The tech giant sold a total of 10.9 million units this quarter, and iPads accounted for about 70% of all computer shipments during the second quarter.
Lenovo is the one to watch
Lenovo only has 30% of the PC market in China, but it is stronger on a global scale when paired with the slow but steady growth in the U.S. market. Coulling explained, “With a more diverse product portfolio, Lenovo is in a stronger position than Apple to cement its lead in the market. But it is not without its own challenges, and has recently had to take steps to clear a significant build-up of PC inventory in EMEA.”
PC sales on the decline
On a global scale, overall PC sales declined 12% year over year to 109.2 million units with declines affecting all computing devices, including tablets, laptops and desktops. PC makers Apple, Lenovo, HP, Dell and Samsung saw marginal share increases. The latter also saw a slight dip in shares attributed to slow tablet sales and its reluctance in the laptop market.
Another similar study from market research firm IDC focused on the tablet market. Researchers found that the tablet market dropped 7% year-over-year during the second quarter after a 3.9% drop during the first quarter. Tablet leaders Apple and Samsung are losing some of their market shares to smaller brands Lenovo, LG and Huawei. IDC’s research director, Jean Phillip Bouchard, added, “Beyond the decline, we’re seeing a profound shift in the vendor landscape as the top two vendors, Apple and Samsung, lose share in the overall market.”
Lenovo’s year over year growth is 6.8% with second quarter shipments of 2.5 million.
