Key industry players are moving quickly to provide more connectivity options in the PC world. Intel, Qualcomm, ARM, Microsoft, and a handful PC OEMs are developing new designs in light of a new generation that will expect (and pay for) a more smartphone-like experience on their notebooks. Meanwhile, cellular connectivity on PCs has always been an extremely niche segment in enterprise and consumers are largely unaware of new advances in notebook designs and functionality. Many OEMs and carriers are focused on where the puck is and not where the puck is going.
However, this is a "when" problem, not an "if" problem. We believe that cellular connected notebooks will become more commonplace over the next decade but the key answer of when that happens lies in how industry players introduce the idea to consumers. A clear view into how consumers choose cellular plans is crucial for vendors, carriers, and even retailers to understand how to better educate key consumer segments in advance of more cellular-embedded options. As networks transition to 5G in the long-term, new use cases will inevitably arise; players that prepare for this new world early will be able to crowd out the competition when it matters.
In this report we forecast Laptop shipments by WWAN connectivity by 3G, LTE, 5G, and Wi-Fi Only across the period of 2015-2022 as Laptop vendors add embedded modems to Laptops in an attempt to make the device more relevant for younger users and the 5G world. This report covers 6 regions of North America, Western Europe, Asia Pacific, Central & Latin America, Central & Eastern Europe, and Middle East & Africa.