In 2020, the demand for PCs increased as telecommuting became common due to Corona 19. The demand for Chromebooks also surged, more than doubled from 2019.
According to market research firm Canalis, the number of Chromebooks shipped worldwide in 2020 was 30.6 million, more than doubled from 14.7 million in 2019. The place where shipments increased the most was Samsung Electronics, a whopping 4 times year-on-year. The number itself is 1.9 million units, ranking fifth. In addition, Lenovo, the number one, recorded 6.8 million units, 2.8 times. It was in the fourth quarter that these manufacturers greatly increased their shipments. During this period, Lenovo shipments recorded a phenomenal figure of 1,766% compared to the same period last year.
These results are analyzed as the result of forced distance education in many countries and regions due to the second epidemic. Chromebooks are popular as educational devices in the United States and Europe, and as many governments target one per student, demand for Chromebooks is expected to continue in 2021.
Tablets aren’t the same as Chromebooks, but demand has increased. It surged in the fourth quarter, and iPad shipments were 19.2 million units, the highest level since the fourth quarter of 2014. On this side, Samsung Electronics and Lenovo smoothly increased the number of shipments in the fourth quarter, but only Huawei in the TOP5 decreased the number of shipments.
Total tablet shipments in 2020 were 160.5 million units. Although the market has grown significantly, tablet popularity is still high at a level that is close to five times that of Chromebooks. Related information can be found here .