MediaTek is set to introduce an 8-core mobile processor designed for tablets between the end of the first quarter and the beginning of second-quarter 2014, according to industry sources.

　　MediaTek's upcoming 8-core tablet chip will be found in a number of new high-end models slated for release in the second half of 2014, said the sources. The chip will be made with a 28nm HPM (high performance mobile) process at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the sources indicated.

　　Meanwhile, the existing MediaTek MT8135 and MT8125 series will continue to be focused on the entry-level and mid-range tablet market segments, the sources added.

　　In addition, MediaTek is scheduled to launch its 8-core mobile processor for smartphones, the MT6592, at an event on November 20. China's first-tier handset companies including Lenovo, ZTE, Huawei, Coolpad and Xiaomi will all have their representatives attend the launch event, the sources said.

　　Though the forthcoming MT6592 series is designed for high-end smartphones, the chip could be found in models priced at as low as CNY1,500 (US$246), the sources noted.

　　Judging from MediaTek's available shipment data and projection, the sources estimated that the company will grab a 55-60% share of China's smartphone processor market in the second half of 2013, and take about 45% of the market for the whole year. If MediaTek maintains its China market share at 50% in 2014, the company's smartphone-chip shipments for the year are set to top 300 million units.

　　MediaTek has forecast the company will ship about 200 million smartphone processors in 2013. As for tablet ICs, the company expects to ship 15-20 million units during the year.