The great upgrade slowdown

Sales are rising at last but why are users hanging on to their tech for longer?

- DAVID CROOKES

Apple has been enjoying healthy growth in computer sales of late.

According to a report by the global intelligence firm IDC, there was a 20.8% growth in shipments of Macs in the second quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. In real terms, that equates to 5.7 million machines across the world (up by a million) and an increased market share from 7.5% to 8.8%. But while good news, all is not quite what it seems.

To some extent, Mac sales have mirrored the general state of the PC industry of late and the overarching story has been one of general decline until this year when first quarter Apple shipments were up 14.6%, meaning it has now had two consecutive growth periods.

In the first quarter of 2023, for example, IDC reported a 40.5% slump in Apple computer shipments (greater than the 29% drop felt by the wider PC industry). Apple then temporarily bucked the trend by growing 10.3% in the second quarter of 2023 against a 13.4% wider PC market fall before subsequently falling by 23.1% and 18.4% in the following periods against wider PC market declines of 7.6% and 2.7%.

In simple terms, this means 2022 was a decent-ish year (albeit down on 2021 due to supply issues), 2023 was a doozy and 2024 looks set to be cause for celebration. But there are many explanations for what has unfolded in recent times. The downturn of yesteryear has, to a great extent, been due to widespread weak demand, excess inventory and a worsening macroeconomic climate that has slowly been easing. Data from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) also suggests that Apple users have been hanging on to their devices for longer.

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