SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 8, 2021 – Synaptics® Incorporated (Nasdaq: SYNA), today announced its expansion into the fast-growing Chromebook market with the launch of its S9861 TouchPad™ modules. Google has fully qualified the S9861 and placed it on its approved vendor list (AVL). Synaptics is now providing new best-in-class options for OEMs looking to design differentiated next-generation Chromebooks, and for users who want the highest quality, productivity and experience.

According to Canalys Research, Chromebook shipments reached 11.2 million units in Q4 2020, a 287 percent increase over Q4 2019. Chromebook 2020 full-year shipments reached nearly 31 million units. “Outside of education, there has also been mounting interest from consumers and traditional commercial customers in seeking out Chromebooks to ensure affordable continuity of business or personal computing,” said Canalys Research Director, Rushabh Doshi.

Synaptics’ significant investment in best-in-class solutions and innovation in the laptop market is driven by three trends. These include 1) learn-from-home and work-from-home solutions, 2) effortless security, including user authentication and data security, and 3) streamlined industrial designs to maximize use of surface area and end-user productivity. Synaptics’ is now bringing best-in-class solutions to the Chromebook market and its rapidly growing user base.

“Remote education and work from home has significantly increased demand from one PC per household to one PC per person,” said Saleel Awsare, SVP and GM, PC & Peripherals Division at Synaptics. “While this has driven record growth in our traditional laptop business, it has also driven a tremendous expansion opportunity in the Chromebook market. With Google adding our latest best-in-class TouchPad to their AVL, our customers now have a new high-performance option that will raise the bar for next-generation Chromebooks.”