PC Sales Soar as Windows 11 Takes Over—But Can the Boom Survive the Trade War?
Global PC shipments surged 9.4% in early 2025—but tariffs and Windows 10’s demise could derail the momentum. Let’s dive in.
🚀 The Perfect Storm: Why PCs Are Flying Off Shelves
- 62.7 million PCs shipped in Q1 2025—a 9.4% YoY jump, with notebooks up 10% and desktops up 8%.
- Apple’s 22.1% growth steals the spotlight, signaling strong demand for M3-powered MacBooks.
- Windows 10’s October 2025 end-of-life is forcing upgrades: 35% of businesses still aren’t ready, risking security gaps.
- Pre-tariff panic buying: Vendors rushed shipments ahead of potential 25-30% price hikes on Chinese-made components.
✅ The Fixes: Discounts, Upgrades, and Stockpiling
- ✅ HP and Lenovo pushed discounts to clear inventory, shipping 12.7M (+6.1%) and 15.2M (+10.7%) units respectively.
- ✅ "Preemptive stockpiling" boosted U.S. channel inventories by 15%, per Canalys’ Ishan Dutt.
- ✅ Windows 11’s strict hardware requirements are driving sales: 40% of 2025 buyers cited compatibility fears.
⚠️ The Roadblocks: Trade Wars and Supply Chain Chaos
- 🚧 Razer paused U.S. laptop sales, while Framework axed a base model to avoid losses.
- 🚧 China’s rare earth export ban threatens GPU and SSD production—NVIDIA shifted AI chip manufacturing to the U.S.
- 🚧 14% of SMBs still don’t know about Windows 10’s EOL, risking last-minute price shocks, per Canalys.
📈 Final Thoughts: A Ticking Clock for Consumers
The PC market’s 2025 surge hinges on two factors:
✅ Tariff clarity: If the U.S.-China trade war cools, prices stabilize. If not, expect $12,000 Razer laptops.
✅ Windows 10’s deadline: Businesses must upgrade now or face inflated costs later.
Is this a golden window to buy—or the calm before a price storm? Let us know your take!
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Sources: Sean Endicott. PC shipments surge as Windows 11 adoption rises, but the trade war threatens momentum, 2025-04-17. https://www.windowscentral.com/hardware/laptops/pc-shipments-surge-as-windows-11-adoption-rises-but-the-trade-war-threatens-momentum
