(Reuters) – AI-enabled PCs accounted for 14 percent of total PC shipments in the second quarter, with Apple leading the way, research firm Canalys said on Tuesday, citing added artificial intelligence (AI) features as a reinvigoration of demand.
Why is this important?
As the PC industry slowly emerges from its worst slump in years, PC providers and chipmakers are pinning their hopes on devices that can run AI tasks directly on the system, without having to go through the cloud.
These devices typically have dedicated neural processing units to carry out AI tasks.
By the numbers
The research firm said in its report that Apple holds about 60% of the AI-enabled PC market, pointing to its Mac portfolio that includes M-series chips with Neural Engine.
Microsoft Windows saw its AI PC shipments grow 127% quarter-on-quarter during the quarter. The tech giant in May unveiled its “Copilot+” AI PC, powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon PC chips, which are based on Arm Holdings' architecture.
Struggling chipmaker Intel is also reportedly ramping up shipments of AI PC chips, hoping to capitalize on the push toward building AI-enabled devices.
The adoption of AI PCs is also driving growth in the premium segment, with shipments of Windows PCs priced above $800 growing 9% quarter-over-quarter.
Lenovo's AI PC shipments increased 228% quarter-over-quarter and accounted for about 6% of total Windows PC shipments in the June quarter.
AI PCs accounted for 8% of HP's Windows shipments, while just under 7% of Dell's Windows shipments were AI PCs.
Important Quotes
“With a strong foundation in place, shipments of AI-enabled PCs will gain further momentum in the second half of 2024,” said Ishan Dutt, principal analyst at Canalys.
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(Reporting by Arshiya Bajwa in Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore)
