Ultrabook sales to overtake notebooks in 2013: Context

Ultrabooks are proving to be a hit, with current figures out of the UK indicating that sales of Ultrabooks will overtake sales of all other notebooks by the middle of next year, according to IT market research company Context.

Ultrabooks are a type of thin and light laptop defined by Intel. They must be less than 2.1cm thick and weigh less than 1.5kg, and run on low-power Intel processors with integrated graphics and unibody chassis to fit larger batteries into smaller cases.

Several manufactures have launched Ultrabook models over the last year, including Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo and Toshiba.

According to figures released by Context, sales of 13.3-inch Ultrabooks in the UK grew nearly six times during the month of August, compared to January this year, driven by a dramatic drop in average selling prices.

Back in January, Ultrabooks in the 13.3inch category were priced 28% above all other 13.3inch notebooks available in the UK, but prices have since decreased by an average of 21%.

As a result, the share of Ultrabooks compared to other notebooks is now at a 27% to 73% ratio, compared to 5%-95% in January.

"I expect sales of ultrabooks to overtake all other notebooks by mid-next year," said Senthuran Premakumar, Enterprise Analyst at Context.

Context also noted that two-thirds of all Ultrabooks were sold to enterprises in August, indicating that these devices are proving to be increasingly popular amongst business users in the UK.

"While we anticipate the use of iPads and other tablets to grow in corporate environments, we expect ultrabooks to slowly but surely replace laptops as they are increasingly proving to be the perfect business companion: affordable, lightweight, fast and portable," said Premakuma.

Last week Intel subsidiary McAfee announced a new version of McAfee Anti-Theft security software designed to protect Ultrabooks. The solution enables consumers to track a lost or stolen Ultrabook and lock it remotely to protect personal information.