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Australia can expect to see fewer devices shipments than initially anticipated, according to an updated forecast that integrates the estimated impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Revised figures from research firm Gartner predict that shipments for the overall device market in Australia will fall to 14.1 million, down from a forecast of 16.5 million made in late January.
This updated forecast “represents the current view in the wake of COVID-19”, according to Gartner.
The figures include traditional PCs (desk-based and notebook computers), premium ultramobiles (including thin and light notebooks), basic and utility ultramobiles (including tablets and Chromebooks) and mobile phones.
Out of these segments, the basic and utility ultramobile market is the only one to have its forecast increase to 2.6 million shipments, up from 2.5 million in January’s forecast.
Meanwhile, the mobile phone market has seen the largest reduction to an anticipated 7.5 million shipments, down from 9.5 million in the previous forecast.
The premium ultramobile market saw the second-largest forecast decline, to 1.6 million shipments, down from 1.8 million, followed by the traditional PC market with a predicted 2.5 million shipments, down from 2.6 million.
This prediction comes as Gartner revises its global figures in the Forecast: PCs, Ultramobiles and Mobile Phones, Worldwide, 2018-2024, April 2020 Update report, claiming that 2020 will see a global decline of 13.9 per cent, down to 1.9 billion units shipped.
However, Ranjit Atwal, senior research director at Gartner, suggested the forecast decline has been softened by the rise of remote working.
“The forecasted decline in the PC market in particular could have been much worse,” Atwal said. “However, government lockdowns due to COVID-19 forced businesses and schools to enable millions of people to work from home and increase spending on new notebooks, Chromebooks and tablets for those workers.”
