Global PC shipments set to drop 7% in 2020

New numbers from Canalys project a 7% drop in global PC sales, owing to financial strains. The category is one of countless impacted by the COVID-19-related shutdowns, but the group notes that the virus's direct impact is mostly behind the industry, due to the rebounding of China's supply chain.

A resulting global recession, on the other hand, is expected to continue to have a notable impact on the industry, moving forward. Simply put, people just don't have the money to spend on upgraded devices.

An already struggling smartphone market takes a big hit from COVID-19

Here in North America, the vertical is expected to take a 6% hit, as U.S. citizens have already filed 40 million unemployment claims since the pandemic's start. The firm says it doesn't expect a full recovery until 2020, when the category is expected to grow 4% from the year prior. Obviously these are projections. A lot can change in two years - particularly at the rate we're going.

China and the broader Asia Pacific region experienced smaller declines and are expected to recover more quickly, owing to being at the front of the first wave and due to what appears to have been effective management of the crisis.

It's also worth noting that the PC industry wasn't as hard hit as the smartphone category. Manufacturers were able to slow the slide, owing to consumers and businesses purchasing equipment in order to upgrade home office set ups.