Prior to 2020, PC sales were on the decline as smartphone sales were on the rise. All that changed when the pandemic hit in 2020, creating a boom in PC demand.

In 2020, the increase in demand, according to Gartner, resulted in the “highest PC market growth in a decade.” In 2021, PC shipment increased an additional 10%, even as there was a global chip shortage that affected production and supply.

Our reliance on the PC increased as we moved online to navigate our daily lives during the pandemic. The way we work, learn, and interact with others fundamentally changed, and the PC was at the center of this transformation, reaching a wider demographic of users.

However, IDC expects that demand will slow down in 2022, even as their forecast shows “a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.3%.” Therefore, moving into 2022, PC markets will still experience growth, but not the same double-digit growth we’ve gotten used to in the last couple of years.

Microsoft, meanwhile, declared “a new era of the PC” shortly after the release of Windows 11 in October 2021. As pointed out by Computer Weekly, the availability of Windows 11 will likely influence purchasing decisions and require updates to PC assets. This is so because Windows 11 is not compatible with older devices and support for Windows 10 ends in 2025.

The approach to PC production is likely to shift, especially as manufacturers continue to work around component shortages. There will be a reprioritization in favor of products that are in high demand (e.g., business laptops) at the expense of other products (e.g., tablets).

Moreover, sustainability is a growing business priority for technology in 2022. In other words, tech companies, including PC manufacturers, are becoming more aware and concerned with their impact on environment and society.

In closing, the future of the PC market is complex and undoubtedly tied to the future of the pandemic and the hybrid model of life we choose to adopt, along with global priorities and innovations that will impact the direction we take our technology.