Global PC shipments in the first quarter of 2025 totaled 61.4 million units, according to the latest report from analytics agency Counterpoint. This is 6.7% more than in the same period last year, when 57.5 million computers were shipped to the market.
The analysts’ report said the increase was driven by efforts by retailers and suppliers to stock up on as much inventory as possible before the new tariffs were imposed. Apple, for example, sent five extra planeloads of iPhones, MacBooks and iPads from India just before the tariffs were set to go into effect.
Almost all major brands saw PC shipments grow. Apple saw shipments increase by 17% (thanks in part to the launch of the M4-powered MacBook Air in March); Lenovo increased shipments by 11% year-over-year; and Asus shipments grew by 9%. HP and Dell increased shipments by 6% and 4%, respectively. Smaller manufacturers, including Vaio, which held a tax-free sale of its PC inventory in the first week of April, also saw growth of 1%.
Image source: Counterpoint
Another driver of growth, analysts say, is the approaching end of support for the Windows 10 operating system, which will officially end on October 14 of this year. Owners of PCs that are not compatible with Windows 11 will still eventually be forced to update their devices. Thus, it is the need for a new PC with Windows 11 support that remains the factor driving sales of computers with artificial intelligence, and not the AI capabilities of these devices themselves.
The growth in demand for computers can be expected to slow or even decline in the second quarter of this year, when sanctions from the Trump administration go into full effect. The White House has imposed 145 percent tariffs on goods shipped from China. However, computers, smartphones, and a number of other tech devices have been temporarily exempted from the tariffs. There are rumors that Washington may extend the increased tariffs to these categories of goods in the future.
The situation has forced many companies to diversify their supply chains away from direct shipments from China to avoid higher tariffs. Some have had to stop shipping to the US entirely and redirect production elsewhere. Some manufacturers have already started moving their production from China to neighboring countries like Vietnam and Malaysia. According to Digitimes, some PC OEMs are considering building factories in Saudi Arabia, which has attracted brands like Lenovo, HP, and Dell with its state investment fund and promised tax breaks.