That said, I see a resurgence of smartphones with physical keyboards and once people get used to them, they may seek better screen/keyboard/performance with a pocketable laptop but the GSM integration is a major limiter for many. It's not like people are going to throw away their smartphones for a portable computer anytime soon.
I have long been impressed at the small laptop form factors available in those countries. There are many fewer options for wide sale in the US for example. It would seem to me like further west there is less demand for something small.