Tablet makers may resort to this in order to escape the 7-inch industry

Sep 18, 2013 09:09 GMT  ·  By

Until not long ago, the number of tablets that had 8-inch diagonals, or a size near that, was actually fairly small, but this has begun to change, and said change may escalate quite fast by the end of the year.

When we were at IFA 2013 and playing with devices like Toshiba's Encore slate, we didn't have time to ponder the greater ramifications of the tablet.

It might sound a bit massive, but the Encore 8-inch slate may very well mark the beginning of a new trend on the tablet industry.

And that trend has to do with the shipment levels of 8-inch slates, and the variety of different models up for order.

Basically, it is believed that 8-inch tablets will grow in number in the near future.

As to why, the reason is actually fairly straightforward once you hear it: there isn't much of an alternative for most small-key brands.

After all, the 10.1-inch segment has more or less matured, so there isn't much room for new companies, and the 7-inch segment isn't much better.

In fact, escaping the high competitiveness on the 7-inch market is the main reason why US vendors are turning to 8-inch form factors.

Samsung already has its claws in this area, and considers it an important business outlet.

Soon, Android-based tablets of similar size will be launched by Asustek Computer (ASUS) and LG Electronics (LG).

Acer is also doing its best in that field, having cut the tags on its 8-inch Windows-loaded Iconia W3 from $299 / €299 to $276 / €276.

New 8-inch tablets with Android and/or Windows 8 will be released in the fourth quarter of 2013, which could mean anything from next month to December. We imagine later October – early November would be the ideal ETA, since it's neither too far from nor too close to Christmas.