Korea-based notebook vendor Samsung Electronics has notified its upstream component partners that the company is set to increase its notebook shipment volume by over 60% on year in 2011, surpassing Apple and become the seventh largest notebook brand, according to sources from upstream component makers.
The sources pointed out that Samsung shipped about 10 million notebooks in 2010 and has set a goal of shipping 16-17 million units in 2011.
According to IDC's figures, Samsung already shipped 6.99 million notebooks in the first three quarters of 2010, making it the eighth largest brand vendor and was only 150,000 units behind the seventh largest, Apple. The sources pointed out that both Samsung and Apple had notebook sales of over 10 million units in 2010 with both seeing strong on-year growth.
Asustek Computer, at number six with shipments of 16-17 million units in 2010, is aiming to ship 22 million units in 2011 and the quick rises of Apple and Samsung are already causing great pressure upon Asustek.
Since Samsung is capable of supplying several key components such as 3D panels, notebook panels and CMOS sensors, in house, while it has strong management over production and shipments, the company is able to achieve its shipment goals almost every year.
Samsung became a top-10 notebook brand vendor in the first quarter of 2009 and as the company has already increased its quarterly average shipments from only one million units in the past to two million units in 2010, the company's goal of increasing the average figure to four million units should benefit related upstream component makers in Taiwan, the sources noted.
Source: Digitimes
