The increase in demand was a matter of necessity, Canalys said. With the second wave of COVID-19 generating new blocks and more remote education, schools and students often had little choice but to supply or require laptops. Chromebooks are inexpensive and relatively easy to maintain, making them easier choices than conventional laptops for many schools and some businesses.
Tablets also saw an increase in demand, if not so great. Shipments grew 28% in 2020, with Apple, Samsung and Lenovo seeing some of the biggest demands. The explanation here is more complicated. While education and work played important roles, the consumption of pure content also played an important role. If you’re stuck at home, you’re more likely to want a device that can help you get through a TV marathon or surf the web on a couch.
Canalys also noted that tablet earnings were modest in part because the market was already very large. About 160.6 million tablets were sold in 2020, or five times the volume of Chromebooks. The Google platform may be very important for some audiences, but it is tablets that have the most eyes.