MediaTek launches quad-core tablet chip

Taiwan's MediaTek has launched a new quad-core ARM processor for tablets that is slated to be used in an upcoming IdeaTab device from Lenovo.Lenovo will use the new chip in an Android tablet called the IdeaTab S6000, according to MediaTek.The Taiwanese semiconductor company is best known as a chip maker for handsets circulating in Asia, but the company is also hoping to break into the tablet sector, a major market for growth, said Roger Sheng, an analyst with research firm Gartner.

The iPad, which is powered by ARM chips designed by Apple, is currently dominating the world's newest tablets market. But new processors from MediaTek could help pave the way for more rival devices running Google's Android OS, Sheng said.

To market its chips, MediaTek can rely on its strong business relationships in both Taiwan and mainland China, which PC vendors including Acer, Asus and Lenovo are based. "I think the major advantage for MediaTek is their experience in the Chinese market," he added. "Almost all the Android tablets are made in Taiwan and China, except for Samsung in Korea."

PC vendors are also looking for new growth opportunities. Both Acer and Asus have already signaled they plan to release more latest android tablet in a time when the PC market continues to struggle.fdEWgd34s

"The timing is good for MediaTek," Sheng said. "7-inch, Q88 Tablet have also grown in popularity."Importantly, because Firefox OS (like all of Mozilla’s products) is open source, there’s really nothing stopping a company like Foxconn from flashing the code onto a 7- or 10-inch tablet and seeing how consumers react.Tablets are a substantial slice of the mobile browsing pie chart, and their share continues to increase. Would shoppers be interested in an inexpensive, browser-powered tablet from Foxconn? At the right price, absolutely.

The disadvantage with Windows 8 is that you need fairly powerful hardware to run it, and the prices for these tablets tend to start at around £500 compared to £400 for the latest iPad, £270 for the iPad mini, and as little as £99 for some of the cheap and cheerful Android tablets. More expensive models, such as HP's HP Envy x2 with its detachable keyboard/battery can set you back £800 or more.

In some ways that's a good thing, as ditching some of the decades-old baggage of traditional Windows means that Windows RT is a lot more streamlined than Windows 8. It runs well on less expensive hardware and we've seen cheapest tablet such as the neat little Dell XPS 10 Tablet selling for just £199.