IDC Korea announced that domestic PC shipments last year totaled 4.48 million units, a 7.8% year-on-year decrease.

According to the latest domestic PC market survey by Korea IDC (http://www.kr.idc.asia), domestic PC shipments last year were 4.48 million units, a 7.8% decrease from 4.86 million units in 2014.

Commercial demand remained strong in 2014, fueled by XP migration replacements, but both sectors declined in 2015, with consumer shipments down 5.0% and commercial shipments down 11.2%. Desktop shipments fell 13.7% year-on-year to 2.22 million units, while notebook shipments declined 1.2% to 2.26 million units, narrowly surpassing desktop shipments. Commercial notebook shipments reached 400,000 units, up 4.6% year-on-year, driven by strong adoption in the public education market.

▲LG Electronics released the Ultra PC, an ultra-slim notebook with a 15.6-inch large screen and 4K Ultra HD resolution in December last year.

2015 was a year marked by the remarkable growth of the ultra-slim notebook market, with a thickness of 21mm or less. Ultra-slim models accounted for 47.3% of notebooks shipped, reaching 1.06 million units, a significantly high figure compared to the global average of 26.3%.


PC shipments by domestic market, 2014-2015 (thousands of units) Source: IDC, 2016

Ultra-slim notebooks shipped 1.06 million units, increasing their share of the notebook market to 47.3%.

Ultra-slim notebooks are available in a variety of sizes, from premium models optimized for mobile computing in terms of design, specifications, resolution, and battery life to entry-level models with enhanced cloud-based portability. Screen sizes range from 11 to 15 inches. Competition with ultra-slim notebooks is expected to intensify in 2016, with the launch of tablets with detachable keyboards in the 12-13-inch lineup.


Domestic PC shipments by product, 2014-2015 (thousands of units) Source: IDC, 2016

All-in-one desktops shipped 270,000 units, accounting for 12.4% of desktops, similar to the global average of 12.7%. All-in-one desktops are increasingly favored for larger screens, from the initial 21-inch models to the current 24- or 27-inch models. However, commercial market utilization remains low, requiring products or solutions tailored to the enterprise market to expand demand.

Kwon Sang-jun, a senior researcher at IDC Korea, said, “The PC market, not only domestically but also globally, is highly dependent on replacement demand, so a decline in demand is inevitable,” adding, “As replacement demand continues to arise, the rate of decline in demand will gradually decrease, and market opportunities will be found in ultra-slim and all-in-one desktops.”