China's Online Laptop Sales Dip in Q1 2026, But Premium Segment and Apple Defy the Trend

According to a new report from market research firm LOTUS Technology, China's online omnichannel laptop market experienced a significant downturn in the first quarter of 2026. Sales volume dropped to 2.3 million units, a steep 19.2% decline year-over-year. Similarly, sales revenue fell to 14.8 billion yuan, marking a 14.7% decrease compared to the same period last year.

Despite the overall market contraction, a trend of market consolidation has become more apparent on traditional mainstream e-commerce platforms. The top five players—Lenovo, Asus, Apple, HP, and Mechrevo—collectively captured a commanding 79.8% of the market share. This represents a substantial 9-percentage-point increase from the previous year, indicating that smaller brands are being squeezed out.

Apple emerged as the standout performer of the quarter. The company's sales share on major online platforms soared to 13%, a remarkable jump of approximately 6 percentage points year-over-year. A key driver of this success was the introduction of the new MacBook Neo, which for the first time entered the mainstream 4,000–5,999 yuan price segment, sparking a surge in demand within this crucial market category.

Interestingly, while unit sales declined, the average selling price (ASP) for laptops continued its upward trajectory. In Q1 2026, the ASP on traditional e-commerce platforms reached 6,431 yuan, a 2.5% increase from the same period in 2025. This marks another consecutive quarter of price growth, suggesting a market shift towards more premium products.

The high-end segment, comprising laptops priced above 10,000 yuan, also demonstrated robust growth. This market benefited from government subsidies and sustained demand from professional creators needing powerful hardware. Consequently, the sales share for this premium category rose to 8.5%, an increase of about 2 percentage points year-over-year.