During the third quarter of 2020, laptop brands smashed all kinds of records that have stood for the past decade, as nearly 80 million units were shipped during the third quarter alone! Furthermore, laptop brands were also left perplexed with the surge in demand in mid-2020, and some came out saying they weren’t able to meet this consumer demand. 

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It was a rather peculiar situation, as laptop and PC OEMs have generally been able to meet consumer demands and expectations without many problems. But with brands unable to ship their units for weeks when the pandemic really took centre stage, users started craving for new and improved devices.

That said, it took a few months for the laptop and PC manufacturers to get things back on track. The entry of Mi into the Indian laptop marketplace also helped, with Indian consumers going after the new Mi Notebook laptops. However, to explain why we witnessed this sudden surge in demand for laptops, we have to go back to early 2020, and look at the measures that were taken by the government to contain the spread of coronavirus.

Classes go online

While classes were initially suspended during the early months of the pandemic last year, the government took the decision to close educational institutions, and move classes online. This meant that students had to attend online classes via Zoom and other video conferencing applications. 

While the students could initially rely on their smartphones for that, the fact that they had to give examinations online meant that the parents had to spend money on laptops. This resulted in a surge in demand for budget-friendly devices, and especially for laptops under 25000. It was also reported that the demand for refurbished laptops spiked during this period, and refurbished devices flew off the shelves.

Remote working becomes the new norm

It wasn’t just the students that had to rely on electronic gadgets. Even working professionals, who were confined to their living spaces, couldn’t go to their offices. This meant that they had to work from home, and needed powerful laptops that could get the job done. This also contributed to the increase in demand for laptop models, and soon, laptop brands realized that they were running out of stock.

Once the lockdown restrictions eased during the third quarter, this pent-up demand for laptops resulted in laptop OEMs shipping a record 79.2 million units! The entry of Mi into the Indian laptop marketplace also helped, as customers flocked to buy the Mi Notebook.

Gaming takes centre stage

During the lockdown, most of us had very little to do. This was also the time when we witnessed the gaming industry really taking off. While some smartphone users started playing games like Ludo King, which, by June 2020, became the sixth most downloaded gaming app globally, others relied on games like PUBG Mobile and Fortnite. The more avid gamers needed a bigger screen and a more immersive gaming experience, and turned their attention to gaming laptops.

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This was also one of the reasons why gaming laptops became extremely popular in 2020. With most of the consumers having very little to do, to while away the hours, they turned to gaming. With popular games like PUBG, Fortnite and Counter Strike once again coming to the fore, this demand for gaming laptops only increased last year. 

This also resulted in price increase in the best laptops India during the second-half of 2020, but by the time the year ended, these devices once again became affordable, thanks to the festive sales and year-end sales.

If you want to purchase the latest laptop model, the price tag might put you off. However, you can easily purchase your favourite model by using the Bajaj Finserv EMI Network Card. The EMI Network Card comes with a pre-approved loan of up to Rs. 4 lakh, and you can convert the cost of the laptop into convenient monthly instalments, which you can pay in flexible tenors ranging from 3 to 24 months.