Even though we are living in a ‘mobile first’ era, when most of the tasks we used to do on a PC are now easily completed on mobile phones, it turns out that PC usage still outpaces mobile usage in certain areas. Although mobile use is increasing, this doesn’t mean that it can completely substitute the ‘traditional’ PC. (Image : Yonhap)
SEOUL, Feb.17 (Korea Bizwire) – Even though we are living in a ‘mobile first’ era, when most of the tasks we used to do on a PC are now easily completed on mobile phones, it turns out that PC usage still outpaces mobile usage in certain areas. Although mobile use is increasing, this doesn’t mean that it can completely substitute the ‘traditional’ PC.
According to IT industry analysts, internet users have shown a tendency to use PCs and mobile devices to supplement one another.
Users were in favor of using PCs when they spent a long time consuming online content. According to the paid content platform Naver N Store, sales occurring from movie content on PCs exceed 65 percent of the total movie sales including both PC and mobile platforms. Multiple episodes of TV series or whole seasons were also purchased more on PC. The larger screen and stable internet environment of the PC seem to be contributing to this trend.
Also, PCs were preferred for writing long blog posts. More than 70 percent of the posts on Naver Blog in 2015 were written on PCs, while 98 percent of power bloggers also created their posts on a PC. Comparing themes, light, everyday events were mostly shared through mobile platforms, while posts and content related to business, the economy, or evaluations were more likely to come from a PC.
For shopping, users tend to prefer PCs when making more expensive purchases. According to data for 10 different shopping categories provided by Naver Shopping, 54 percent of the PC sales occurred in categories such as life & health, digital & home electronics, and furniture & interior, where items typically have higher prices. On the other hand, sales of these items through mobile platforms only reached 34 percent, showing that cheaper and easily bought items were usually purchased though mobile platforms.
Device usage also differed depending on the time of the day. From 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., purchases were more likely to occur on a PC. During these hours, people tend to stay at one place, and have easier access to PCs instead of mobile phones.
On the other hand, mobile shopping is most active from 7 p.m. to nighttime hours, reflecting a tendency towards using mobile phones to shop after returning home after work, or before going to bed.
IT analysts see this phenomenon as the shared growth of mobile and PC platforms, rather than a ‘zero sum’ game, in which the increased usage of one device leads to a decrease in usage of the other.
Industry watchers explain that data from the past five years shows that PC usage has only dropped five percent, while mobile internet usage increased 50 percent. “Although the current service trend is focusing on mobile, we should note that users are selectively using PC and mobile platforms depending on their needs,” commented one analyst.
By Francine Jung (francine.jung@kobizmedia.co.kr)
