Domestic PC shipments in the second quarter of 2018 decreased by 5.1% year-on-year.
Expanding choice due to growing demand for convertibles
According to a recent domestic PC market research analysis by International Data Corporation Korea Ltd. (IDC Korea), domestic PC shipments in the second quarter of 2018 decreased by 5.1% year-on-year to 470,000 desktops, 480,000 laptops, and 950,000 total units.
The home segment shipped 490,000 units, an 8.1% year-over-year decrease in volume. However, the decline in sales was relatively small at 2.8%, as the company reduced the proportion of low-priced products and focused on profit-driven premium categories such as gaming, ultra-slim, and convertibles. Demand for gaming PCs expanded approximately 1.3-fold in the first half of 2018 compared to the previous year, and continued demand growth is expected in the second half, driven by the release of high-quality PC games and the gradual introduction of ultra-slim gaming notebooks.

The public sector shipped 72,000 units, while the education sector shipped 77,000 units, representing a 3.8% and 6.2% increase year-on-year, respectively. While the public and education markets have traditionally been desktop-centric PC environments, the adoption of laptops has been steadily increasing. In particular, the education sector is using a variety of computing devices, including tablets, as part of the digital textbook project this year.

The corporate sector shipped 310,000 units, a 4.6% decrease year-over-year, but notebook shipments both increased year-over-year in both volume and share. Replacement and new demand is occurring primarily among large corporations and global companies. While tower-type desktops remain a preferred choice for cost-saving reasons, ultra-slim and convertible notebooks are increasingly used depending on the work environment.
As lifestyles and work environments diversify, computing devices are evolving to keep pace with these changing trends. Ultra-slim laptops, measuring 21mm or less in thickness, are becoming thinner and lighter, with models ranging from 18-21mm down to less than 18mm. Convertible laptops, once a niche market, are also experiencing explosive growth, with product lineups diversifying and supporting handwriting functions, resulting in over 90,000 units shipped in the first half of the year.

“Dual-screen laptops and laptops with mobile processors are expected to expand consumer choices by offering new usage models,” said Kwon Sang-jun, a senior researcher at IDC Korea. “New attempts tailored to user needs require a swift and strategic response from the relevant industry, as securing the initial market lead is paramount.”