The mobile device market has been extremely turbulent during the past few years. The pandemic sparked a quick and dramatic uptick in sales. Supply chain problems and lower demand followed. The market continued its downward trend in the last quarter but could be reaching a stabilitization point.
The pandemic extended utilities’ mobile workforce. Office workers joined the traditional remote maintenance teams that relied on mobile devices to complete their work. The change created a rapid rise in demand.
A Supply Glut
However, suppliers had trouble keeping pace. Not only were they unprepared for the shift, but also social distancing rules wreaked havoc with their business processes. he supply chain became glutted, with more product in the pipeline than demand.
Suppliers reduced their pricing in order to attract buyers. However, the changes have not stopped the bleeding. Global PC shipments declined 13.4% year over year during the second quarter of 2023, according to Intenational Data Corp.
However, signs of another change are evident. The drop was less than half of the 29% decline seen in the first quarter of 2023. Also, the market performed better than the forecast for the quarter.
Now is a Good Time to Buy Laptops
So, how should energy companies interpret the numbers? Now is a good time to buy laptops. New applications, like the metaverse and augmented reality/virtual reality, are emerging that require more powerful systems. Vendors ase still trying to clear their excess inventory, so prices are low.
The mobile device market has fluctuated in the past few years. Energy companies now can strike a good deal because the market has not bottomed out. However, that time may be approaching, which eventually will lead to price hikes.