In the first quarter of 2025, PC shipments hit a significant high, according to Canalys. Manufacturers ramped up deliveries to the US, anticipating upcoming tariff announcements. For small and mid-sized businesses that haven’t updated their PCs by October 14, when support for Windows 10 ends, this situation could lead to increased prices.
Canalys reported overall shipments of desktops, notebooks, and workstations rose by 9.4% to 62.7 million units. Notebook shipments, which include mobile workstations, increased by 10% from last year, totaling 49.4 million units. Desktop sales also climbed, reaching 13.3 million units, an 8% rise.
Ishan Dutt, a principal analyst at Canalys, pointed out that Lenovo and HP boosted their shipments to the US by around 20% and 13%, respectively. This proactive move allowed suppliers to stock up before potential cost spikes, leading to an uptick in shipments even as demand remained steady.
Supply chain adjustments began during Donald Trump’s presidency, with major PC companies shifting their focus beyond China to countries like Vietnam, Thailand, and India. Canalys anticipates that by the end of 2025, most major manufacturers will have completed transitioning US-bound shipments out of China to bolster supply chain resilience against tariffs.
HP’s CEO, Enrique Lores, highlighted that by the end of this year, 90% of HP products sold in the US will be produced outside of China. Dell’s COO, Jeff Clarke, emphasized the company’s strong global supply chain, which helps manage the impacts of trade regulations. He mentioned using AI models to optimize their network against changes from tariffs, warning that unavoidable tariffs may force them to raise prices.
Lenovo’s CEO, Yuanqing Yang, viewed US tariffs as a potential advantage for the company. He spoke about Lenovo’s versatile ODM+ model, which combines in-house and outsourced manufacturing across various global locations. With 30 manufacturing facilities spanning countries like India, Brazil, and Japan, Lenovo can shift customer orders swiftly when challenges arise, enhancing their supply chain resilience.
In a 2023 document, Lenovo noted that their approach reduces transportation costs and supports sustainability. Despite facing tariffs, other countries remain competitive compared to China, with a willingness to negotiate, creating a possibility for tariff reductions or waivers.
Canalys’s survey indicated an awareness gap among small and mid-sized organizations regarding the end of Windows 10 support. Fourteen percent of PC resellers noted that their clients might not know about the support date, while another 21% recognized the deadline but weren’t planning to upgrade.
Dutt warned that delays in upgrading could lead to businesses facing higher costs when they eventually refresh their PC fleets. The firm expects that the impact of tariffs will make consumers more cautious, forcing them to prioritize spending on pricier PCs over other rising costs.