The global smartphone uptake rate has surpassed that of the personal computer for the first time ever. According to a report "2015 Mobile Trend Outlook" published by KT Economic Management Research Institute on January 20, the rate of people owning a smartphone throughout the world was 24.5 percent last year, exceeding that of those possessing a personal computer (20.0%). It took only four years for the smartphone to outperform that of the personal computer that has been in the market for more than 40 years.
The figures are based on statistics made available by the International Telecommunication Union, eMarketer, and TrendSpectrum. The smartphone penetration rate was only 5.2 percent as late as in 2012, which shot up to 19.8 percent in 2013. In contrast, the corresponding figure for the personal computer climbed up from 7.0 percent in 2004 to 20.0 percent in 2012, after which it has plateaued since then. The report said the ratio for smartphones will likely soar to 36.5 percent by 2018 while that for computers remaining at the 20.0-percent level for years to come.
In terms of global shipment, the smartphone (120 million units) already outstripped the personal computer (93 million units) in the fourth quarter 2010. In the third quarter of 2014, the difference was as high as four-folds (327 million vs. 78 million). The report also predicted that this year will see a clear trend for Internet service to shift more toward the mobile space.
Source: Korea Economic Daily
