HP edges past Lenovo to take notebook lead

HP edged out Lenovo for the first time in years by a slim margin to regain leadership in the notebook PC market. Overall, the industry picked up pace last quarter as the world moves on to new options of remote working, education and digitalisation, driving 34% year-on-year shipment growth, according to Strategy Analytics’ latest report. This high growth rate was actually limited by tight supply in the face of record demand, adding more drama to the competitive landscape as winter and more COVID lockdowns approach.

The full report from Strategy Analytics’ Connected Computing Devices (CCD) service, Preliminary Global Notebook PC Shipments and Market Share: Q3 2020 Results can be found here: https://www.strategyanalytics.com/access-services/devices/tablets-and-pcs/connected-computing-devices/market-data/report-detail/preliminary-global-notebook-pc-shipments-and-market-share-q3-2020-results-121120

Chirag Upadhyay, Senior Research Analyst said, “The third quarter would have been even more productive for some vendors if they were able to deliver more devices to meet high demand. Supply will remain a key concern as demand is expected to stay high amid rising COVID-19 infections around the world as the Northern Hemisphere enters a very difficult winter. With the pandemic still lingering across the globe, consumers have started their purchases before the holiday season to prepare for the new ‘normal’ of working and studying from home.”

Eric Smith, Director – Connected Computing added, “Chromebook delivered strong growth in both commercial and consumer segments as the operating system remained the favourite option for schools and students in developed markets. Meanwhile, the Gaming and Ultramobile segments performed very well as consumers spent more money on notebooks being used for multiple tasks (entertainment and productivity) for an extended period of time.”

Exhibit 1: HP Shipment Growth Outpaced the Market, Barely Putting Market Share over the Top¹

Global Notebook PC Shipments by Vendor
(Preliminary Results, Millions of Units)

Global Notebook PC Market Share by Vendor
(Preliminary Results, % of Total Shipments)

Exhibit 2: Chromebook Shipments More than Doubled Due to Back-to-School and e-Learning Demand¹

Global Notebook PC Shipments by Operating System
(Preliminary Results, Millions of Units)

Global Notebook PC Market Share by Operating System
(Preliminary Results, % of Total Shipments)