When we analyse the overall number of desktop, laptop, and workstation shipments, we can observe that Acer recorded the largest growth. In the last quarter, the Taiwanese manufacturer shipped 5.6 million computers, a 15% increase over the same quarter last year. However, it was Lenovo that can boast the largest number of shipments in Q3 at 19.3 million units, an 11% year-on-year increase. It was closely followed by HP, which shipped 18.6 million units, a 12% uptick as compared to last year. Dell made 11.9 million shipments and reported a slight decrease of 0.5%. Finally, Apple shipped 6.3 million units, which was a 13.2% increase from the year prior. 

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic saw a sharp increase in demand for laptops from people who switched to remote work and learning. The supply chain was unable to meet this growing demand, and as a result, personal computer shipments dropped by 12.3%. 

Luckily, both manufacturers and vendors have since been on the rebound. They have been allocating their resources to producing notebooks in order to keep up with the enormous demand from individuals and businesses alike. According to a Canalys analyst, investment in IT, particularly in the personal computer sector, will be fundamental for the economic recovery after the pandemic.

Source: The Verge

In its forecast report, Canalys also speculates that this year’s global smartphone shipments will decrease by 10.7% in comparison to the year before. This number is expected to bounce back in 2021 with projected annual growth of 9.9%, at which point over 1.3 billion units will be shipped out worldwide. The firm attributes massive shipments of 5G devices in 2020 mainly to their ongoing commercialization in mainland China.

The average selling price of 5G devices in Europe is projected to be on the decline over the next several years as Samsung and Apple continue to outperform their competition. It is expected to drop to $765 next year, and then to gradually decrease to the level of $477 by 2024.

It is noteworthy that while at the beginning of this year, there weren’t any 5G-enabled devices priced below $300 on offer, there are now various smartphones available on the market that cost under $250. The cheapest one to date is Realme’s latest release – the Realme V3 5G that currently retails for under $150 in China and is the first 5G device to enter the rapidly progressing low-end smartphone market.

Source: Canalys