PC Shipments Show Growth Amid Windows 11 Influence
Recent data from Gartner reveals that Windows 11 is proving to be a catalyst for PC upgrades, with global shipments reaching 69 million units in the third quarter of the calendar year, marking an 8.2 percent increase compared to the same period last year. It is important to note that these figures represent devices sold to resellers and distributors rather than direct sales to end customers.
Rishi Padhi, a research principal at Gartner, pointed out that the growth figures are somewhat skewed. North America’s performance was bolstered in the first half of the year due to concerns over potential import tariffs, resulting in a modest growth rate of 1.6 percent for the region. In contrast, demand across other continents was largely driven by the end-of-support (EOS) cycle for Windows 10, prompting a commercial refresh among businesses.
“Conversely,” Padhi remarked, “consumer demand has remained subdued at lower price points, influenced by ongoing geopolitical and macroeconomic challenges. Consumers are exhibiting cautious spending habits, often delaying PC purchases and seeking promotional offers.”
In an interesting twist, the rise of AI PCs is noteworthy, with projections indicating that they will account for 31 percent of shipments by 2025, a significant increase from 15 percent in 2024. However, this growth appears to be more industry-driven than stemming from direct consumer demand. As highlighted by The Register, the future landscape of PC purchases may soon make it difficult to find devices without an NPU—an on-chip AI accelerator—even in the absence of a compelling application for the technology.
The rankings among the top five vendors in terms of shipments have remained consistent compared to the previous year, with all players experiencing growth in unit sales. Lenovo continues to lead the market with a commanding 27.8 percent share in Q3 2025, up from 25.8 percent the prior year.
- HP: Second place with a 21.5 percent market share.
- Dell: Third place, experiencing a slight decline to 14.5 percent, down from 15.4 percent in Q3 2024.
- Apple: Despite hopes in Cupertino for a surge in demand for Mac hardware due to the Windows 10 EOS cycle, Gartner estimates that Apple remains in fourth place, with a slight increase in market share from 8.7 percent to 8.9 percent.
While the Q3 shipment figures may not reflect the double-digit growth the PC industry had anticipated, buoyed by the Windows 10 refresh wave, they do signify a notable improvement over recent years. However, once the initial excitement surrounding Windows 11 subsides, the PC market will require another impetus for growth. Vendors are optimistic that AI applications will provide this boost, yet consumer confidence remains uncertain.
