What They Say
Nikkei reports that Chromebook makers have been ‘slashing’ their orders for components by ‘at least 20%’. That could mean 10 million or so fewer Chromebooks in the market this year. One brand told Nikkei that demand in the US had slowed although there are still projects in Japan.
Higher display prices have been one of the factors. An executive from Elan Microelectronics told the paper:
“When the price of an 11-inch display panel mostly used in Chromebooks is as high as those for 14-inch displays that are generally used in high-end commercially-used laptops, all the computer makers would turn to build those higher-price ones.”
Wistron and Ausutek also reported the slowing demand. Asustek thinks there could be a boost in the future with a potential for Google to expand the commercial sales of Chromebooks.
What We Think
The article has a wide range of different comments, but makers pivoting away from lower priced offerings to more premium segments, when components are in tight supply is no real surprise. (BR)
Image:Nikkei
