Macbook sales plummeted

IDC statistics show that all five of the largest computer manufacturers today, Apple , ASUS, Dell, HP and Lenovo, all saw double-digit sales declines in the first quarter of the year. The reason given by this market research company is weak consumer demand and persistent inventory.

It’s worth noting that Apple’s drop is the largest of the bunch.

According to IDC data, from the first quarter of 2022 to the first quarter of this year, Apple’s worldwide PC market share fell from 8.6% to 7.2%. Apple is said to have shipped less than 2.8 million units in the first quarter of 2023.

IDC’s assessment is that this decrease, although the strongest among the major PC manufacturers, is not “completely surprising”, even to insiders.

In February, Apple’s chief financial officer, Luca Maestri, said that Apple expects sales of Macs and iPads to fall by double digits year-over-year. Mac sales fell 28.66% year over year in the fourth quarter of last year.

Apple CEO Tim Cook emphasized that the challenging macroeconomic environment has affected iPhone, Mac and Apple Watch sales.

Unsatisfactory sales sent Apple stock down more than 1.5% when the market closed earlier this week

“Preliminary results indicate a temporary return to the market before the COVID-19 pandemic,” said IDC.

“Even with sharp price cuts, PC makers are still facing high inventory levels in the middle of the year and potentially spilling over into the third quarter,” IDC researcher Jitesh Ubrani wrote in the report. .

The IDC report also forecasts that growth with PC makers is likely to return later this year.

“The weakening demand provides an opportunity for companies to complete the “reschedule” and resolve supply chain bottlenecks. This period will be quite helpful for companies like Apple. began to accelerate the process of moving part of its operations outside of China.”

An Apple spokesperson was unavailable for comment when contacted by CNBC.