CANALYS APAC FORUMS Despite receiving low marks for sustainability and revenue, Lenovo is committed to continuing its production of Chromebooks, as stated by a company executive at the Canalys APAC Forum in Bangkok on Wednesday.
Lenovo’s senior vice president and group operations officer, Che Min Tu, expressed uncertainty about the profitability of Chromebooks, noting that the machines are challenging to sell. He also pointed out that Chromebooks present environmental challenges in terms of material recycling.
Despite these challenges, Tu stated that Lenovo intends to continue selling Chromebooks due to sustained demand from the education sector, which has been the primary driver of sales for these machines.
Despite a drop in Chromebook sales during the pandemic, the education market has sustained sales, particularly in the US, where it accounted for 80% of Chromebook sales in Q2 of this year.
Tu also mentioned that Lenovo’s “China plus one” supply chain policy and local manufacturing capabilities in India have contributed to the company’s success.
Additionally, the Indian government’s decision to grant licenses to Lenovo and other firms has been pivotal in Lenovo’s sub-continental expansion.
At the Canalys EMEA Forum 2023, another Lenovo vice president revealed plans for the introduction of AI PCs in the near future, with the first Arm AI PCs expected to debut next year, followed by a gradual integration of AI into PC technology over the coming years.
Tu also discussed Lenovo’s vision for AI PCs and emphasized the importance of smartphones in the evolving tech landscape, predicting that they will play a crucial role, especially in the AI PC era.
