KUALA LUMPUR (July 12): Global personal computer (PC) shipments fell 5.2% year-on-year (y-o-y) in the second quarter of 2016 (2Q16) to 64.3 million units, according to information technology research and advisory company Gartner, Inc.

In a statement today, Gartner said this was the seventh consecutive quarter of PC shipment declines, but that the market was showing some signs of improvement.

Gartner principal analyst Mikako Kitagawa said one of the ongoing problems in the PC market had been the price hike in selected regions, due to the weakening local currency against the U.S. dollar.

She said the price issue has impacted the Europe, Middle East and Asia (EMEA) and Latin America regions for the past year.

“However, PC shipment declines became rather modest in the second quarter, compared with previous quarters, which suggests a fading currency impact. All regions except North America experienced a PC shipment decline,” she explained.

Kitagawa said while the U.K.'s vote to exit the European Union did not have a major impact in the worldwide PC results in 2Q16, Brexit could potentially create uncertainty, not only in currency, but also the entire economy beyond Europe.

Gartner said Lenovo maintained the No. 1 position in worldwide PC shipments in 2Q16, despite a 2.2% y-o-y decline in units from the same period last year.

It said this was the fifth consecutive quarter of global PC shipment declines for Lenovo.

Gartner said the company experienced double-digit growth in the U.S. mobile PC market, but EMEA continued to be a challenge due to inventory build during the quarter.

It said Lenovo's shipments declined in Asia Pacific, although the decline was less than the overall average in the region.