Global sales of personal computers (PCs) may drop as much as 10 percent in the third quarter from a year earlier due to weakening demand, according to a Forbes report known in Seoul on Wednesday.

PC sales could fall around 5-10 percent in the July-September period from the previous year as PC giants such as Dell and Hewlett-Packard continue to suffer softening demand, according to a recent Forbes report that cites Jefferies & Company Inc. analyst Peter Misek.

Misek said China-based Huawei's possible expansion into Microsoft Windows 8 tablets and Windows Phone 8 smartphones is likely to "create pressure on HP and Dell," according to the report.

The Jefferies analyst further added that Windows 8 is unlikely to have a significant impact on the global PC market, noting that the operating system is not expected to drive a consumer PC upgrade cycle in the fourth quarter. (Yonhap)