Asus eyes 40% share in India's thin and light laptop segment

Bullish on the future of thin and light category of laptops in India, Taiwanese electronics major Asus is now eyeing 40 per cent market share in the segment by 2020, a top company executive has said. The thin and light category of laptops typically weigh less than 2 kg and have a thickness of less than 20 mm.

"We now have 24.2 per cent share in thin and light category. With the new models in picture, we are now able to challenge 40 per cent market share in this category by 2020," Jonas Chen, Country Product Manager, Consumer Notebook, Asus, told IANS. Asus was one of the top five PC companies in India, as per the International Data Corporation`s (IDC) Q2, 2019 unit market share report.

The thin and light category`s growth has been a little slow in the country, but it is catching up now. "We observed that portable laptops have become very important for the customers. In the beginning of the year, the thin and light category occupied only 1.9 per cent of Indian market, but last quarter it rose to 7 per cent, which is an increase of almost three times," Leon Yu, Regional Director, Asus India, told IANS.

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Expanding its portfolio, the Taiwanese electronics major has just launched its dual screen laptop series in the country. The dual screen line up comprises the Zenbook Pro Duo (UX581) and the Zenbook Duo (UX481) at a starting price of Rs 2,09,990 and Rs 89,990, respectively.

Asked about the novelty quotient of the dual screen devices, Navkendar Singh, Research Director, IDC India, told IANS: "Having two 4K screens on a single laptop is surely a very different experience. "I am sure once we get used to it and there are enough apps which can use the second screen effectively, it can open a host of possibilities which can enhance productivity."

These devices should appeal to professional users like creators and designers in the market, who are heavily invested in the Microsoft ecosystem, according to the market research firm. The Taiwanese tech major has been aggressively expanding its online as well as offline footprint in India and its new dual display devices have paved way for a new form factor for laptops.

"With its new dual screen laptops, Asus has brought forth a fresh wave of innovation, which is less gimmicky and more meaningful, and especially focused on content creators with a significant proportion of real estate available," noted Prabhu Ram, Head, Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CMR. Asus unveiled the world`s lightest 14-inch "business" laptop, ASUSPRO B9, at the premier consumer electronics show, IFA 2019.