Skylake Expected to Boost PC Sales in Q4 and 2016

Despite the third quarter of this year recording another decline in global PC sales, research firm IDC expects the situation to improve in Q4 and 2016 as systems based on Intel’s Skylake processor family push more consumers towards upgrading.

Although Q3 shipments were down almost 11% to 71 million units year-on-year, IDC said it remains optimistic about future shipments and noted that ‘while PC shipments will be hampered in the short run by the availability of a free upgrade to Windows 10, the improved PC experience across user segments should drive longer-term demand for new PC hardware that is expected help stabilise the market in 2016 and beyond.’

It also noted that new designs running Windows 10 and powered by Intel’s Skylake processors that are now are coming to market ‘may represent the most compelling reason we’ve had in years for consumers to upgrade their PCs.’

Separately, Gartner said that Q3 worldwide PC shipments were 73.7 million, down 7.7% on the same period of 2014. It also said the premium ultra-mobiles category only recorded a low-single-digit decline.