The latest data released by research company Canalys shows that the total global PC market (including tablets) has seen strong growth for the fourth consecutive quarter, with shipments increasing by 53.1% year-on-year to 122.1 million units. After entering 2021, Chromebooks and tablets continued to perform well, achieving growth of 274.6% and 51.8% respectively, and shipments reached 12 million and 39.7 million units in the first quarter.
Among the 12 million units, HP accounted for a large portion of the market share, achieving an increase from 18.6% to 36.4% This is followed by Lenovo’s 25.9%, Acer’s share is close to 12%, Samsung’s share has soared from 1.6% a year ago to 10%, and Dell’s share is the fifth place with 8.4%; all shipments exceed 1 million units.
Canalys research analyst Brian Lynch said that: “Chromebooks are well and truly a mainstream computing product now. While the education sector still accounts for the majority of shipments, their popularity with consumers and traditional commercial customers has reached new heights over the course of the last year. HP and Lenovo dominate the Chromebook market, but the boom has been a case of a rising tide lifting all boats, allowing vendors such as Acer and Samsung to carve out substantial shares within the PC market by catering specifically to Chromebook demand. Google is now in a strong position to work with its OEM partners and the channel to cement a rosy future for Chromebooks. A substantial messaging and evangelization push coupled with the targeting of growth trends, such as flexible work arrangements and budget-conscious SMBs, will be vital to ensure the longevity of Chromebooks’ success.”
In addition, Canalys also pointed out that in the first quarter of 2021, shipments of almost all top tablet vendors continued to grow.
Apple has expanded its leading position, achieving 50.3% growth, and shipments of 15.2 million units, mainly because its latest iPad Air iteration has won the favor of consumers.
