Canalys: Global AI PC shipments in the third quarter reached 13.3 million units, with a market share increasing to 20%.

Canalys data shows that in the third quarter of 2024, the global AI PC shipments reached 13.3 million units, accounting for 20% of the total PC shipments for the quarter. AI PC refers to desktops and laptops equipped with chips or modules specifically designed for AI workloads, such as NPUs. With an increase in the supply of such devices, AI PC shipments grew by 49%. Windows devices for the first time accounted for a majority share of AI-capable PC shipments, with a market share of 53%. Despite Windows 11 updates and processor roadmap continuing to drive the adoption of AI PC, the key challenge in the future will be convincing customers to prepare proactively for upcoming edge AI applications. Canalys Chief Analyst Ishan Dutt said that the third quarter maintained a strong pace in the development roadmap of AI PCs. Devices with Snapdragon X series chips, such as Copilot+ PCs, experienced their first full supply quarter, AMD also introduced the Ryzen AI 300 series, and Intel officially launched its Lunar Lake series. However, both x86 chip manufacturers are still waiting for Microsoft's support for their products for Copilot+ PCs, with expectations for a launch later this month. "Despite the strong momentum, there is still significant room to convince channel partners and end customers of the advantages of AI PCs. Especially for higher-end products like Copilot+ PCs, Microsoft requires these devices to have at least 40 TOPS of NPU performance and other hardware specifications." Canalys' November channel partner survey indicated that 31% of partners do not plan to sell Copilot+ PCs in 2025, while another 34% expect these devices to account for no more than 10% of their PC sales next year. With Windows 10 support ending soon, the next few quarters will be crucial opportunities to drive a large number of older devices to upgrade to AI PCs. Vendor and operating system highlights Windows AI PC shipments grew by 93%, accounting for 12% of the total Windows PC shipments in the third quarter. Canalys analyst Kieren Jessop stated that currently, the AI PC shipments of major Windows vendors do not stand out significantly in their overall shipments. The key factor for their success in this area in the future will depend on differentiation beyond hardware. At the "Imagine AI" event held by HP in September, they emphasized collaboration with ISVs and third-party developers to provide edge AI experiences. Meanwhile, Lenovo's recent focus has been embedding proprietary AI tools and agents in their PCs, such as the Creator Zone, Learning Zone, and Lenovo AI Now. For vendors like Lenovo and Dell, their products are not limited to PCs, with edge AI becoming an important component in offering wider and more comprehensive AI services and solutions. Jessop continued, "Apple's strategic path is unique. Apple leverages its vertically integrated ecosystem to create functionalities that do not compete with Microsoft's productivity suite, such as macOS compatible with Microsoft 365 Copilot Pro. Apple can focus on differentiation at the hardware and operating system levels to compete with Windows OEM in the current upgrade cycle and increase its market share."