The global PC market experienced a significant boost in sales with 8.8 million units of AI PCs sold in the second quarter of 2024, exhibiting a marked increase from earlier in the year and indicating a rising demand for AI-equipped hardware.
AI-driven PCs have indeed become the highlight within the technology sector, with a notable upsurge in shipments of PCs tailored to AI applications. This growth can be attributed to several factors including advancements in hardware capable of handling sophisticated machine learning algorithms. Leading chip manufacturers, including Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm, have been pivotal in this transition, embedding accelerated neural processing unit (NPU) hardware into their latest system-on-chips (SoCs) to ensure compliance with advanced AI specifications like the MS Copilot+ certification.
This surge in the hardware market is made evident by the recent figures published by market research firm, Canalys, which reported the shipment of 8.8 million AI PCs worldwide in Q2—a leap from the previous quarter. The AI PC market segment now represents 14% of the total PC shipments for the quarter, signaling a transformative period in the tech industry. This shift is bolstered by a sense of optimism among partners and a noticeable increase in consumer demand.
Comparative analysis shows that AI systems only made up 7% of total sales in the first quarter of the year. However, with the continued dedication and innovation of hardware industry leaders in the latest-generation chipsets, the trajectory of AI PC sales is expected to show even more growth in subsequent quarters.
Ishan Dutt, a Principal Analyst at Canalys, remarked that this quarter has significantly propelled the expansion of the AI PC market. Highlighting key contributions to this growth, he mentioned the impact of products like Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X-series chips for AI PCs, the AMD Ryzen AI 300 series of mobile processors, and Intel’s Core Ultra chipset. Apple’s break into the space has also been significant, with MacOS claiming nearly 60% of total sales in AI PCs for Q2.
Meanwhile, Windows-based AI PCs secured 39% of the total market share, followed by ChromeOS at a modest 1%. Notably, Windows AI PCs priced over $800 demonstrated a twofold increase in market share this quarter, also reflecting a 127% rise in month-over-month shipments. Leading the charge in selling the highest number of Windows-based systems are Lenovo, HP, and Dell, with market shares of 6%, 8%, and 7% respectively.
Recent launches such as Lenovo’s Yoga Slim 7x and ThinkPad T14s—equipped with Snapdragon X-series processors—as well as HP and Dell embracing the latest Core Ultra processors, are clear indications of the commitment PC OEMs have to this burgeoning segment. With the ‘back-to-school’ and holiday seasons approaching, the industry is poised for the release of even more AI-integrated devices, suggesting that the AI PC market is set to expand further still in 2024.
As the year progresses, consumers and industry watchers alike can anticipate a continued influx of sophisticated AI-enabled hardware, catering to the growing appetite for intelligent and high-performing PCs.
