March 26 – China's notebook computer market got off to a weak start this year, with both sales volume and revenue dropping significantly.
According to data released by Lotu Technology (RUNTO) for the online market in January and February 2026, online retail sales of notebooks in China reached only 947,000 units, down a sharp 40.5% year-on-year. Sales revenue stood at 5.99 billion RMB, also falling 40.5% compared to the same period last year. This marks one of the steepest opening declines in recent years.
Lotu Technology pointed to several key factors behind the downturn:
First, strong government subsidies in 2025 created a high base and pulled forward a lot of demand. With subsidies reduced in 2026, demand has fallen noticeably. Second, surging global demand for AI servers has squeezed production capacity for memory and storage chips, driving up prices and increasing the overall cost of laptops, which has further dampened consumer purchases. Third, the Spring Festival holiday disrupted normal inventory planning by retailers, adding to the market volatility.
In terms of brand rankings, Lenovo maintained its dominant position with about 35% market share, staying firmly in first place. HP ranked second with roughly 14%, followed by Asus at about 12%. Mechanical Revolution and Apple took fourth and fifth places with approximately 8% and 7% shares respectively.
Domestic brands such as Huawei, Honor, and Xiaomi each held 5% or less of the market and did not make it into the top five. This shows that traditional PC giants still hold clear advantages in supply chain, distribution channels, and product range.
Lotu Technology noted that the notebook market is showing a clear K-shaped split. High-end models priced above 10,000 RMB benefited from the remaining subsidy effects and gained market share, while entry-level models below 6,000 RMB continued to see decent sales. However, the mid-range segment is under significant pressure.
On a more positive note, AI PCs are gaining traction quickly, with penetration approaching 45%. OLED screens are gradually moving into mid-range models, and high-refresh-rate displays are becoming increasingly common in gaming laptops.
Looking ahead, Lotu Technology expects cost pressures and weak sales to continue in the short term. However, storage chip capacity is expected to gradually shift back toward the consumer market in the fourth quarter of 2026, which should help ease price increases and support a gradual recovery for the industry.
