Shortage of laptops and PC components won’t be cleared until 2022

This year saw a large boom in sales of laptop and desktop computers, and many hardware manufacturers are still months behind fulfilling their orders and not expected to clear the backlog until 2022, Reuters reports.

With the global pandemic of coronavirus causing a huge surge in both remote learning and working from home, people across the globe have been purchasing laptops and desktops at a higher level than any time for more than a decade. At the same time that people were buying more computers, sales of smartphones slumped, as many decided to put off upgrading their handheld devices and instead spend their money on a larger device that was more useful for work or school.

The highest level of sales of desktops and laptops in recent years was in 2008, when 300 million units were shipped. Since then, sales have declined toward 250 million, and many expected that the PC market would never recover to its previous position. Conventional wisdom said that customers wanted smaller, portable devices that were more affordable and which they would upgrade more often, rather than the large investment of a PC.

But hardware industry representative told Reuters that this year looks as if sales will recover to these previous levels, with up to 300 million PCs shipped which is an increase of 15% from 2019. Tablet sales are also up.

This increased demand has put additional pressure on supply chains that were already impacted by the pandemic. There has been a shortage of components like graphics cards and laptops, with limited stock available in many locations globally. And these private customers are also after the same laptops and other components that educational institutions are trying to stock up on for their students.

Experts told Reuters they expect the shortages of components to continue, with sales in 2021 maintaining or even exceeding those in 2020. A new wave of computers will be introduced next year with features like better cameras for video calling and the integration of 4G or 5G chips for those who don’t have reliable Wi-Fi. But some countries may see shortages of laptops and desktop components which will continue until 2022.

Related posts

Latest posts

RTX 5090 GPU shortage could soon end if Nvidia adopts this strategy

Online leakers explained that the RTX 5090 shortage began due to scalpers over-purchasing components, but it could soon end if Nvidia adopts this strategy.

Lenovo’s leaked ThinkBook Flip is a wild take on dual screen laptops

At the MWC 2025 tech fest, Lenovo might showcase a dual-screen laptop that borrows the concept of foldable phones, and takes it to computing extremes.

Samsung savings: Take $900 off the Samsung 55-inch Odyssey Ark

You deserve a gaming monitor that performs like a champ. May we recommend the Samsung 55-inch Odyssey Ark, a premium screen on sale for $900?

Google Messages can now be your notes app. Please don’t do that

There are other messaging apps that will safeguard messages you send yourself.

How good are passkeys in 2025 or do I still need a password manager?

Passkeys have been around since 2021, so when can l top using passwords or are password managers still a necessity in 2025?

Save space with this 27-inch Dell all-in-one PC — on sale at $300 off

The Dell Inspiron 27 All-in-One PC is on sale from Dell at $1,000 after a $300 discount. Save space with this machine, which features a built-in 27-inch screen.

Hackers opted for ransomware in 2024 for faster and more advanced attacks

Researchers indicate that ransomware bad actors are rolling out attacks as quickly as security professionals can resolve them.

This 14-inch Dell 2-in-1 laptop is on sale with a $250 discount

The Dell Inspiron 14 7440 2-in-1 laptop is a versatile device with decent performance from its Intel Core 5 120U processor. It's on sale from Dell at $250 off.

Tourists are renting robotic legs to climb up a mountain

Tourists in China have been strapping on robotic legs to help them climb a famous mountain, with a rental service proving popular since its launch last month.

Grok 3 launch confirmed as 10 times more powerful than previous model

Elon Musk and the xAI team announced the Grok 3 AI model as a beta for paid users.