When it comes to using PCs, millennials are still “thumbs up”

There probably are few statistics about millennials and their attachment to smartphones that would surprise most anyone these days. After all, the demographic between 18-34 years old has been called the most digitally savvy and connected. Just to show how seriously attached millennials are to their mobile devices, research from Bank of America found that on an average day 39% of millennials say they are more likely to interact with their smartphone than “anyone,” even a significant other.

Such statistics tend to reinforce the view that millennials are the post PC generation. However, a 2016 study from Deloitte Global indicates that far from abandoning PCs, younger or “trailing millennials” aged 18-24, were more likely to own or intend to buy PCs than any other age group last year. 

Deloitte’s “TMT Predictions 2016” report found that on average, over 85% of trailing millennials in 13 developed countries had access to a laptop in 2015. This figure is just slightly less than the 89% who had access to a smartphone in these same markets.

Complement not substitutes

The Deloitte report also reports the 18-24 year-old group view smartphones and PCs as complements, not substitutes. In fact, millennials (and other age groups in the study) often have a laptop open in front of them while holding a smartphone in their hand. The study also found that trailing millennials are interested in acquiring new laptop models. While a third of 18-24 year olds in the survey planned to buy a new smartphone over the preceding 12 months; one quarter had plans to buy a laptop. Although smartphone purchases still dominate, laptops came out as the second most desired device in every country surveyed.

Tailing millennials are using PCs for streaming video, online shopping, emailing and gaming as well as for work and study. PC large screens, keyboards and track pads or mice provide greater ease for input and display than even larger mobile devices do, noted Deloitte.

Reinventing PCs

Research from Gartner Inc., also addresses the synergy between mobile devices and PCs to meet millennial needs. According to Gartner, it takes today’s digital workplace employees an average of three different devices in their daily routine. And the rule isn’t one device per task, either. Workers often start one activity and finish it on another. Millennials depend on a range of devices to get work done because they believe it increases their productivity, helps them stay connected and enables them to respond quickly to changing events.

At HP, we are addressing the needs of millennials to stay connected anywhere, anytime with a range of powerful, new devices with the upmost in portability. Our revolutionary, multi-form Elite x3 is an enterprise-class mobile device that offers a variety of different computing form factors from phablet, laptop and desktop. The Elite x3 enables users to run productivity apps seamlessly across the different experiences. And new thin and light laptops, such as the Spectre 13 and Envy, provide business-critical robustness, security and manageability.

Expect PC reinvention to continue as a major manufacturing strategy. According to Jeff Orr, director of research at ABI Research, the platform is continuing to evolve its designs to provide flexibility for productivity purposes, while also adapting its shape to support tablet-like, touch applications.

Reinvention is the name of the game for PCs. That’s why “Keep Reinventing” is not only HP’s motto, it’s our mission.