MediaTek plans to release its new smartphone solution, the MT6572, supporting TD-SCDMA standards in the first quarter of 2013, as well as the MT8135 for tablets in the second quarter, according to company president Hsieh Ching-chiang.

Based on MediaTek's product roadmaps, the company also plans to launch an upgrade version of its current MT6589 quad-core chip with an accelerated CPU in the third quarter, said Hsieh, adding that the company also plans to roll out its next-generation LTE chips in the fourth quarter.

Hsieh made the remarks on the sidelines of Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2013, where the company has announced that its quad-core solutions, launched in December 2012, have been adopted by Lenovo for its new range of tablets, including the Lenovo IdeaTab S6000.

Having seen the tablet market in China double in 2012, sales of tablets in China are expected to top 70-80 million units in 2013, Hsieh estimated.

MediaTek is giving priority for cooperation with branded vendors including Lenovo, Acer and Asustek Computer for development of new tablets in the first half of 2013, and MediaTek expects its share in China's tablet chip market to grow rapidly as most clients are developing new devices using 2.5G technology, of which MediaTek boasts a complete line of solutions, Hsieh commented.

Concerns about high smartphone chipset inventory levels in China have eased recently as sales of smartphones in China during the Lunar New Year holidays met market expectations, and demand for smartphone solutions will resume momentum in March, Hsieh said, citing a company internal estimate.

More smartphone brands in China are expected to roll out models using MediaTek's MT6589 chips in March-April, revealed Hsieh, noting that only a small number of brands utilized the quad-core solutions prior to the Lunar New Year holidays.