Considerable demand for Brazilian mobile PCs

In Brazil, computers are among the categories with the highest volume variation; 18% when comparing year to date (YTD) demand for 2011 (January - May) with the same period in 2010. The mobile PC market recorded 27.5%, digital cameras 17% and PTV's 49%.

Last year, 7 million computer units were sold; representing BRL9.9 million*. From January to May 2011, the figure was 3.5 million, accounting for approximately BRL4.4 million.

Netbook achieves highest market share

The Netbook reached its highest market share volume in July 2010 with 12.5% of the total market; however, in the YTD 2011, it represents only 8%. On the other hand, Notebooks make up almost 50% of the total market volume (January - May 2011); 6 percentage points (pp) in comparison with the same period last year. In the YTD, the price of Notebooks witnessed a -17% decrease, falling to an average of BRL1475 while the average price of a Netbook is now BRL993, a decline of 16%.

For YTD 2011 to 2010, within the Notebook and Netbook segments, 2.0 GB RAM and 320 MB of HD are among the most important features sold. Concerning screens, the most significant sizes for Notebooks are from 14"-14.9" and for Netbooks, 10"-10-9". Therefore, apart from the screen size, there is no clear differentiation between the groups and expectations from consumers.

It is worth noting that the Brazilian market is still driven by price and many consumers are having their first experience with more sophisticated technology. However, sales will only continue in a stable economy and if purchases can be made in instalments.

Exchange rate at time of posting: BRL (Brazilian Real)1=R4.5