Samsung to leave laptop market

September 24, 2014 | 11:45

Tags: #chromebook #laptop #notebook #slump #ultrabook

Companies: #samsung

Samsung has confirmed that it is to leave the European laptop market with immediate effect, although hasn't ruled out a return in the future.

Samsung has long been a presence in the European PC market, selling a range of laptops and Ultrabooks alongside its Galaxy-branded tablets and smartphones. Recently, however, the company has been concentrating on the latter more than the former, and it has made the decision to abandon its laptop efforts altogether - although only, at present, in Europe. Although its tablet and smartphone efforts will not be affected, the company has confirmed that its Chromebook devices - low-power entry-level laptops running Google's Linux-based Chrome OS software - are to be included in the cull.

According to a statement first provided to PC Advisor, Samsung is spinning the move as the fault of a depressed market for traditional laptop devices. 'We quickly adapt to market needs and demands,' its announcement reads. 'In Europe, we will be discontinuing sales of laptops including Chromebooks for now. This is specific to the region – and is not necessarily reflective of conditions in other markets.'

The company's exit from the market follows that of Sony, which announced in February this year that it was to give up on PCs altogether before confirming it had taken a minor stake in standalone laptop specialist Vaio with a view to continuing sales of its laptops in selected markets. It comes, however, as both Intel and Gartner suggest that the ongoing decline in the market for traditional PCs is slowing.

Samsung has so far not indicated whether the move will result in job losses, nor whether it intends to repeat the market exit in any other regions.
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