Vertical Divider
Big Global Upswing in PC shipments in Q220, Except in Japan
July 12, 2020
Robust demand for notebooks, fueled by work-from-home activities, drove notebook shipments to an 11.2% Y/Y growth in Q220 and the phenomena is expected to stretch into fourth-quarter 2020, with panel specifications being upgraded. Notebook vendors are planning to roll out machines with screens featuring an aspect ratio of 16:10, instead of the current mainstream 16:9 and to slim the bezels. 16:10 screens have accelerated after Lenovo reported strong sales for its recently released Xiaoxi Pro 13 2020, which comes with a 16:10 display, and more models with 16:10 screen design will hit the market in 2021. As the production cost for 16:10 displays is higher than that for 16:9 design, some panel makers may be reluctant to receive such orders. For example, on a Gen 7 a 16” with 16:9 aspect ratio yields 54 panels while a 16:10 ratio delivers only 48 panels. Notebooks with 16:10 aspect ratios are considered high-end products, with 13.x-, 14.x- and 16-inch being mainstream sizes currently, featuring resolutions of 2K (1920 by 1080 pixels) and above. For gaming notebook panels, some panel makers are developing QHD 165Hz displays with a 16:10 aspect ratio compared to current mainstream 16:9 FHD displays at 120/144/204+ Hz, paving the way for the rollouts of 16:10 gaming notebooks in 2021, said the sources.
Regional Highlights
Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan) (APeJ) Traditional PC shipments came in above expectations up slightly Y/Y. Q220 shipments were stronger than Q1 driven by inventory replenishment and strong sales of notebook PCs, fueled by increased demand due to work from home and e-learning.
Canada The PC market posting its 16th consecutive quarter of gains. Shipments in 2Q20 were the second highest total since 2012. The need for portable computing was highlighted by intense Chromebook demand from both consumers and institutions. The shift to online purchases increased the velocity of inventory reaching the end customer and is indicative of a healthy channel with low inventory levels.
Table 1: Q220 PC Shipments, Share, Growth
July 12, 2020
Robust demand for notebooks, fueled by work-from-home activities, drove notebook shipments to an 11.2% Y/Y growth in Q220 and the phenomena is expected to stretch into fourth-quarter 2020, with panel specifications being upgraded. Notebook vendors are planning to roll out machines with screens featuring an aspect ratio of 16:10, instead of the current mainstream 16:9 and to slim the bezels. 16:10 screens have accelerated after Lenovo reported strong sales for its recently released Xiaoxi Pro 13 2020, which comes with a 16:10 display, and more models with 16:10 screen design will hit the market in 2021. As the production cost for 16:10 displays is higher than that for 16:9 design, some panel makers may be reluctant to receive such orders. For example, on a Gen 7 a 16” with 16:9 aspect ratio yields 54 panels while a 16:10 ratio delivers only 48 panels. Notebooks with 16:10 aspect ratios are considered high-end products, with 13.x-, 14.x- and 16-inch being mainstream sizes currently, featuring resolutions of 2K (1920 by 1080 pixels) and above. For gaming notebook panels, some panel makers are developing QHD 165Hz displays with a 16:10 aspect ratio compared to current mainstream 16:9 FHD displays at 120/144/204+ Hz, paving the way for the rollouts of 16:10 gaming notebooks in 2021, said the sources.
Regional Highlights
Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan) (APeJ) Traditional PC shipments came in above expectations up slightly Y/Y. Q220 shipments were stronger than Q1 driven by inventory replenishment and strong sales of notebook PCs, fueled by increased demand due to work from home and e-learning.
Canada The PC market posting its 16th consecutive quarter of gains. Shipments in 2Q20 were the second highest total since 2012. The need for portable computing was highlighted by intense Chromebook demand from both consumers and institutions. The shift to online purchases increased the velocity of inventory reaching the end customer and is indicative of a healthy channel with low inventory levels.
Table 1: Q220 PC Shipments, Share, Growth
- Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) Traditional PC shipments posted double-digit growth in 2Q20. Supply chain recovery saw unprecedented pent up demand for mobile form factors, needed to facilitate working and studying from home.
- Japan The PC market declined in 2Q20.
- Latin America: Despite a 4% Y/Y decline in PC shipments, notebook grew 10%, the best result in the last two years. Mobility has become a priority in all countries of the region, which has caused a significant decrease in desktop devices.
- United States T PC shipments posted double-digit growth in the second quarter of 2020 Y/Y. While the first quarter was record breaking for the lowest PC shipments seen in over a decade, the second quarter was record breaking for the opposite reason. With volumes expected to surpass 21 million units, the US has not seen such volume since the end of 2009. Inventory replenishment and record demand should produce another record-breaking quarter in Q3.