LG Electronics Inc.’s LG Gram laptop. (image: LG Electronics)
SEOUL, June 23 (Korea Bizwire) — Despite the outbreak of the coronavirus dealing a major blow to the world economy, South Korea’s notebook PC makers reported better-than-expected first-quarter results in the domestic market primarily thanks to the ubiquity of online classes and the increase in telecommuting.
Of note, LG Electronics Inc. enjoyed a sharp increase in sales of large notebook PCs, threatening the top position of its rival Samsung Electronics Co.
According to market research firm IDC on Monday, the number of notebook PCs sold in Korea in the first quarter of this year totaled 865,542 units, down 0.1 percent from 865,996 units a year ago.
This figure is relatively robust, considering that the global sales of notebook PCs fell by 6.3 percent from 36.6 million units to 33.2 million units during the January-March period.
In the U.S., shipments of notebook PCs declined by 9.1 percent from 8.9 million units to 8.1 million units over the same period.
Considering that South Korea’s smartphone market shrank by about 10 percent in the first quarter, it’s safe to say that the nation’s notebook PC market turned in a relatively strong performance.
Industry experts attributed the strength of the nation’s notebook PC market to the growing popularity of remote work and the opening of school classes online.
The latest trend in the notebook PC market is a clear preference for larger models.
Sales of models larger than 15 inches stood at 665,176 units in the first quarter of this year, up 12 percent year on year, while sale of smaller models fell by 27 percent to 200,366 units.
LG, which focused on larger notebook PCs, enjoyed strong results on the back of this trend. The company sold 308,000 notebook PCs in the first quarter of this year, almost on par with market leader Samsung.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
