According to analysts, Chromebooks had an incredible 2020, with the last quarter being the strongest ever for Google’s laptops (via 9to5Google). According to research firms Gartner and Canalys, more than 30 million of the devices shipped last year, with just 11 to 11.7 million shipments in Q4 alone. Canalys says it’s a staggering 287 percent more than what was shipped in Q4 2019.
The companies do not agree on the growth of this compared to 2019, but both estimate that it is a lot: Gartner estimates that Chromebooks are 80 percent higher, while Canalys says that it is 109 percent. By comparison, PC sales rose 11 percent this year, the largest growth the category has seen in a decade. This is not to give the impression that Chromebooks have sold out computers. Gartner estimates that 275 million traditional computers were sold this year, but it does show that one category is experiencing an increase in growth, while another is recovering from a dip.
According to Canalys, education has a lot to do with it. Chromebooks are big sellers in the education market, and schools have had to find a way to provide home students with computers for distance learning during COVID. Even the vice president of Microsoft Education agrees that Chromebooks are ideal for schools – according to a leaked meeting by Business Insider, he told his employees that ‘[i]In many cases, when schools buy Chromebooks or Windows PCs, Chromebooks are still faster and cheaper, making them easier to use and manage. “
Of course, since students go to school from home, they are not going to come home to another computer. Many kids I know have never used a traditional computer: they rather spend their time on Chromebooks and tablets.