Gartner: Worldwide Chromebook sales to reach 7.3 million units in 2015

Manufacturers have been releasing a slew of new Chromebooks throughout these past few months, and it looks like it’s paying off. According to technology research firm Gartner, a total of 5.728 million Chromebooks were shipped in the year 2014, with 4.820 million units being sold in North America. 72% of those units were sold to the education market alone. In fact, at the rate Chromebooks are currently selling, the report states that worldwide sales are on track to reach 7.3 million units by the end of 2015, which would be a 27% increase year over year.

In terms of specific OEMs, Acer surpassed Samsung to become the number one worldwide Chromebook vendor in 2014, selling more than 2 million units. Samsung took the second place badge with 1.7 million units, and HP came in third with 1 million units.

Although the consumer and education segments may have held strong numbers for 2014, Google has been struggling to gain a foothold in the business sector. From Gartner:

In the business segment, purchases of Chromebooks remain low despite interest from small and midsize businesses (SMBs) and vertical industries. Google is increasingly targeting the business segment with its Chromebook for Work suite of office applications and has continuously improved access and functions by making more applications and services available offline.

Though it’s still a way off, the report also states that worldwide Chromebook sales could reach up to 7.953 million units in 2016. Do you own a Chromebook? If so, would you recommend one to a friend or family member?