Global shipments of artificial intelligence (AI) PCs rose in Q2 2024, according to a report by market research firm Canalys. Over 8.8 million AI-capable computers were shipped by device manufacturers, and Apple’s Mac computers accounted for a majority of these devices. Meanwhile, the adoption of these computers is reportedly expected to increase in the second half of 2024, following the launch of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X chipset series that is based on Arm architecture and powers recently launched Copilot+ PCs from a range of OEMs.
AI PC Shipments Grew in Q2 2024
Canalys’ latest report reveals that Mac computers powered by Apple Silicon chipsets made up 60 percent of the AI PC shipments in Q2 2024, which was considerably higher than all Windows AI computers that made up just under 40 percent of shipments in the same period.
Photo Credit: Canalys
All of Apple’s current-generation computers are equipped with M-series chips unlike Windows computers that still ship with some non-AI-focused processors. However, most customers will be able to fully leverage the AI capabilities of their Mac hardware with the arrival of Apple Intelligence features later this year or in early 2025.
While Apple commanded the majority of shipments in the quarter gone by, Windows AI PC shipments grew sequentially by a whopping 127 percent, according to the market research form. Among OEMs in this segment, Lenovo’s Yoga Slim and ThinkPad laptops brought its share to 6 percent, which was slightly lower than Dell’s market share which stands at 7 percent with its Inspiron, XPS and Latitude models. Meanwhile HP commanded an 8 percent market share, following the launch of its EliteBook and Omnibook Copilot+ PCs.
The research firm also notes that Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X series chipsets were only launched in June, which means that there was a very small window for OEMs to ship enough units of these AI-capable computers in Q2 2024.
However, these companies have committed to incorporate these Arm chipsets into upcoming products, enabling them to offer higher performance and more efficiency than most x86 chips. “With a strong foundation now set, AI-capable PC shipments are poised to gain further traction in the second half of 2024,” Canalys’ Principal Analyst Ishan Dutt said.