According to a new report from Digitimes, both Apple and Samsung are in the process of developing Tablet PCs with 12-inch and above.
“Samsung is reportedly developing tablets with a 12-inch or larger display echoing rumors that Apple reportedly has similar plans,”Aaron Lee and Joseph Tsai report for Digtimes. “Sources from the upstream supply chain believe the vendors are trying to create a new market segment to get away from competition from small-size devices. However the moves could impact demand for conventional notebooks.”
In spite the risk of cannibalization of the notebook segment, Apple would likely be unfazed by this if it means cutting into Microsoft dominance in the traditional PC market.
“Considering that smartphone and tablet demand will eventually collide, Samsung believes consumer demand will mostly turn to smartphones due to their better features. Therefore, the Korea-based company is now trying to shift to compete with the notebook industry hoping to achieve a new growth,” the report explains.
“Samsung is expected to be more aggressive about developing related tablet models than Apple, since Apple still has 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch MacBook Airs that could be impacted by large-size tablets,” Aaron Lee and Joseph Tsai report. “As for other vendors, seeing 9- to 10-inch tablets suffering from weak sales, most of them are not considering entering the segment currently and will wait until someone tests the water before making moves.”