Computex 2011, Chinese Tablets and the Chicken and the Egg Effect

[This post is written by our guest editor: Tim “Tai-Pan” Brown, the editor in chief of the English language Chinese gadget blog Shanzai.com]

While Android OS based tablet hardware is starting to slowly gain traction in the market place, the apps written specifically for tablets are moving even slower. Theoretically though; as more and more tablets get into consumers hands, developers will have more reasons to create tablet specific apps. Which begs the question: Is China in a “chicken and the egg” stage where developers are waiting for more tablets to hit the market before they start developing their tablet apps?

Well if you’re a Chinese application developer or business I can tell you after roaming the halls of Computex last week in Taipei Taiwan and visiting with over 30 different Chinese tablet manufactures and major ARM processor licensees that the tablets have already arrived.  We’re getting credible reports sizing the Chinese tablet market at around 2 million units per quarter presently with growth up to 11 million units per year over the next couple of years.

Most of the tablets we checked out are running either Android 2.2 or 2.3 now and several venders are claiming as early as July we’ll be seeing Chinese tablets running Android 3.0… although others say this will happen more realistically around the October time frame. Developers take heed.