A fifth of all PCs shipped within the third quarter of 2024 have been geared up to assist synthetic intelligence (AI), Canalys has reported in its newest PC market report. The Canalys knowledge exhibits that AI-capable PC shipments hit 13.3 million within the quarter, accounting for 20% of all PCs offered.
The analyst agency defines AI-capable PCs as desktops and notebooks that embody a chipset for devoted AI workloads, comparable to a neural processing unit (NPU).
Canalys reported that Home windows gadgets accounted for a majority of AI-capable PC shipments for the primary time, capturing a 53% share. What is critical is that these Home windows-certified gadgets, often called Copilot+ PCs, are primarily based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon ARM-based chip slightly than an x86-compatible processor from the likes of Intel or AMD.
Discussing the information, Canalys principal analyst Ishan Dutt stated: “Copilot+ PCs geared up with Snapdragon X collection chips loved their first full quarter of availability, whereas AMD introduced Ryzen AI 300 merchandise to the market and Intel formally launched its Lunar Lake collection. Nonetheless, each x86 chipset distributors are nonetheless awaiting Copilot+ PC assist for his or her choices from Microsoft, which is anticipated to reach this month.”
Whereas the Home windows 11 refresh cycle and processor roadmaps will proceed to drive penetration, nonetheless, Canalys believes there could also be a reluctance to purchase the brand new know-how, which is designed to supply on-device AI.
“Regardless of the constructive momentum, important work should nonetheless be executed to persuade each channel companions and finish prospects of the advantages of AI-capable PCs,” stated Dutt. “That is very true for extra premium choices, comparable to Copilot+ PCs, which Microsoft requires to have a minimum of 40 NPU TOPS [trillions of operations per second] alongside different {hardware} specs.”
There’s a sense that these gadgets look like concentrating on the premium finish of the PC market. As an example, even with Black Friday offers, Currys’ most cost-effective AI-capable system is at the moment an HP OmniBook X 14in laptop computer Copilot+ PC, which is on sale at £799, diminished from £999. The costliest is a £2,149 Microsoft 15in Floor laptop computer Copilot+ PC. Nearly all of the gadgets listed are over £1,000, which can put them past the price range of many organisations.
In actual fact, slightly below a 3rd (31%) of PC resellers don’t plan to promote Copilot+ PCs in 2025, based on Canalys, whereas an extra 34% anticipate such gadgets to account for lower than 10% of their PC gross sales subsequent 12 months. “With Home windows 10 finish of assist now lower than a 12 months away, the approaching quarters characterize a important alternative to drive a good portion of an aged put in base to be upgraded to an AI-capable PC,” Dutt added.
Given the premium these AI-capable gadgets command, Canalys famous that producers are working with software program companies to assist them promote the advantages of AI PCs. As an example, at its Think about AI occasion in September, HP showcased its collaboration with software program suppliers to ship on-device AI experiences. Lenovo, in the meantime, has centered on embedding proprietary AI instruments and brokers into its PCs, comparable to Creator Zone, Studying Zone and Lenovo AI Now.
“For distributors like Lenovo and Dell, whose choices prolong past PCs, on-device AI will probably be a key element of the supply of broader, extra holistic AI providers and options,” stated Canalys analyst Kieren Jessop.
The Canalys knowledge additionally reveals how Apple shouldn’t be instantly competing with Microsoft. Since 2020, Apple has shifted away from utilizing Intel processors to its personal chips primarily based on ARM structure. It’s now transport gadgets with the M3 chip, the third era of so-called Apple “silicon”. This doubtlessly makes Apple gadgets working ARM-based {hardware} a extra mature providing than the mainstay of PC producers, which have jumped on the Copilot+ bandwagon.
“Apple’s strategic method on this panorama is distinct,” stated Jessop. “It’s leveraging its vertically built-in ecosystem to create options that don’t have to instantly compete with Microsoft’s suite of productiveness instruments, comparable to Copilot Professional for Microsoft 365, which is suitable with macOS. Apple can as an alternative focus its differentiation on the {hardware} and working system degree, positioning itself in opposition to Home windows OEMs [original equipment manufacturers] in an effort to make market share good points in the course of the ongoing refresh cycle.”
