Laptops, desktop sales see 'renaissance;' shortages won't ease until 2022

FILE PHOTO: A person types on a laptop computer in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., September 11, 2020. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo

OAKLAND, Calif. (Reuters) - The world stocked up on laptop and desktop computers in 2020 at a level not seen since the iPhone debuted in 2007, and manufacturers still are months away from fulfilling outstanding orders, hardware industry executives and analysts said.

Remote learning and working has upturned the computer market during the coronavirus pandemic, zapping sales of smartphones while boosting interest in bigger devices, which had become afterthoughts to iPhones and Androids over the last decade.