The global tablet market is accelerating as low cost tablets are rapidly improving in functionality in the $40-200 price range, below tier 1 tablets. Initial demand is led by Chinese makers exporting to emerging markets with low PC penetration, with usage
mainly for entertainment (games, movies and music) but starting to offer productivity as keyboard attachments and Android apps proliferate.
Tablet chipset, component suppliers, and design houses believe published shipment estimates last year at 50 mn units may have been understatements and also believe this year builds may approach 120 mn units. The overall tablet market would have 120 mn
Apple/Samsung + 120 mn China tier 2/whitebox + 70 mn other foreign brands, about 310 mn units versus PC industry volumes in the 300-350 mn range.
MediaTek now estimates that its total addressable market in tablet is 90-110 mn units and expects a better market share of 10-15% with 10-15 mn units in 2013, up from 5-10% share with 5-10 mn units. Nevertheless, due to a highly competitive environment in the whitebox tablet market, 60-70% of MediaTek’s tablets volumes will be to branded customers. MediaTek is supplying its MT6577/8377 now and has 28nm chipsets on its 2013 roadmap including the MT8389/MT8382 quad core versions for tablets and big.LITTLE ARM Cortex A7 and A15 standalone AP (MT8135) for tablets in 3Q13.
The following chart shows the comparison of Tablet processors
