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Samsung said to be shuttering desktop business

UPDATED: Already one of the leading mobile device makers in the world, Samsung is getting out of the PC business.
Written by Rachel King, Contributor
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Samsung has seen the writing on the wall for the PC market and is apparently getting out of the business altogether.

The Korea Times reported on Monday that the Seoul-based corporation is killing off its desktop business.

For anyone who wasn't already aware that Samsung had a desktop unit, the move makes a lot of sense given Samsung's strength and leadership in both the global mobile market as well as the Android ecosystem.

See also: Tablet screen choice overkill: Samsung's 7-inch Galaxy Tab 3 vs. 8-inch version

Reps for Samsung told the news service that because "demand for conventional desktop PCs is going down," Samsung will now divert its "resources to popular connected and portable devices.”

The Galaxy S maker routinely comes out on top of mobile OEM sales and shipments charts, occasionally trading back and forth with Apple on both domestic and global accounts.

Samsung's focus on mobility and its now lack of interest in PCs are not mutually exclusive.

It wouldn't come as a shock if more tech companies with diverse product portfolios cut ties with PCs to conserve resources and boost their bottom lines.

As further evidence for those possible motives, Garnter published a new forecast earlier on Monday that shipments of traditional PCs (meaning both desktops and laptops) are expected to reach 305 million units this year -- a 10.6 percent decline from 2012.

Furthermore, the IDC released a report back in April that found global PC shipments had declined by 14 percent during the first three months of 2013 -- the worst plunge for the segment since 1994.

UPDATE: The PR team for Samsung’s consumer IT division sent us the following clarification. ZDNet's Zack Whittaker also filed a follow-up story on Tuesday.

The rumor that Samsung is withdrawing from the PC desktop business is groundless. Samsung will continue to offer diverse PC products according to consumer and market needs.

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