Beancounters at research outfit Strategy Analytics have added up some numbers and released a report with the racey title "Notebook PC Cellular Connectivity Shipment and Installed Base Forecast".

It claims that global shipments increased by 70 percent to 10.1 million, the highest ever annual total. North America accounted for nearly half of 3G-, 4G- and 5G-enabled PC shipments, while Europe and Asia-Pacific accounted for 45 percent. The report, Notebook PC Cellular Connectivity Shipment and Installed Base Forecast, estimates that more than 26 million cellular-enabled PCs are now in use worldwide, an increase of 25 percent in twelve months.

While 4G/LTE standards dominated the market in 2020, accounting for 97 percent of cellular-enabled PC shipments, 5G notebook launches in 2021 are showing a greater diversity in price points, form factors, and vendor participation, and Strategy Analytics expects 5G to build its share towards 69 percent by 2025. The report indicates that this growth will depend on improvements in customer education by vendors, carriers and retailers.