VIA always saw it coming

Tech media have reported for some time now that PC shipments are down. That crucial mass has now well and truly been met where PC sales have plummeted but personal computing device sales are booming. The broad category of ultra-mobiles, according to Gartner, is up 5.9%.

The catch-phrase word of ultra-mobile was first used with gusto by VIA back in 2006 when the prototype of the UMPC came out - the Ultra Mobile Personal Computer. Time has shown that this is exactly what people want - a full computing experience on a small and mobile device.

7-inch tablets to drop to $40

VIA led the way some years ago with pushing for the sub-$100 mark for 7-inch tablets. VIA's WonderMedia offers single chip solutions that have made low price points a reality for whitebox manufacturers. Digitimes now reports that such models will drop to as low as $40 by the third quarter this year.

"The market for 7-inch tablets is seeing intense competition and white-box vendors are expected to further reduce prices for entry-level models to US$40 in the second half of 2013, according to Taiwan-based supply chain sources."

Tests show solid performance of new WonderMedia dual core SoC

The new WonderMedia WM8880 tested in an unbranded 7-inch tablet shows a mid-range but solid performance in this screenshot:

http://www.decryptedtech.com/news/via-for-cheap-tablets-and-smartphones

New dual core WonderMedia chip surfaces before official launch

WonderMedia has a new dual core ARM processor coming out and its destined for low-cost smartphones and tablet, probably mainly in the Chinese market and possibly in developing countries as well. The reason is that, if unofficial testing is accurate, its performance is about 1/2 that of the top of the line offerings from Qualcomm, Samsung, NVIDIA and the like. But the trade off is the cost of course and there's no shortage of demand for affordable tablets.

"VIA hasn’t added any information about the new chip to its website yet, but the folks at Chinese site 1pad have posted some details and test results from a 7 inch tablet powered by the WM8880 processor. The new processor appears to be very similar to the WM8850 chip which launched last year, but the WM8880 features dual-core graphics while last year’s chip had a single-core Mali 400 GPU." - Source:  Liliputing.com

Does this $100 tablet have VIA WonderMedia inside?

I can't be sure but it's a good bet that this tablet by the well-known brand of Polaroid, is driven by a VIA WonderMedia ARM9 processor and complimentary graphics chip. I make this guess based on the fact that VIA's WonderMedia solution brings to the table the specs and prices mentioned in the ad.

This is an entry-level Android tablet with an entry-level price, available at the discount store in the US, Big Lots.

Chairman of VIA Technologies, Inc. and HTC donating 100 000 tablets to women

Cher Wang, the visionary leader behind VIA and HTC, is quoted in an article on Want China Times as saying that she founded " ... HTC to create a computer so small that it could be carried in a pocket and said she was now setting her sights elsewhere. "The dream has come true and now my next dream is to make the world a more equal place for women," Wang said."

VIA has of course played no small part in the development of this vision. VIA's focused has been on revolutionising the size and power consumption of desktop and industrial PCs whilst HTC's focus has been on personal devices, most notably the mobile phone, which these days is a mobile personal computing device far exceeding its role as a portable phone.

Cher Wang has been a passionate advocate for equality for women in the workplace. She is the chair of the ABAC Women's Forum. Her announcement, that she will donate 100 000 tablets to young women in Asia-Pacific countries, was made at a World Bank forum.  

WonderMedia announces new tablet platforms for 7" and 10.1"

With the tablet wars hotting up, not only with variety but price competition, WonderMedia has put together new platforms that boast ergonomic design, front and rear cameras and up to a 1.4Ghz WM8980 ARM Cortex- A9 Dual-Core processor combined with the ARM Mali-400 Dual-Processor GPU.

10.1” and 7” Turnkey Tablet Solution Highlights:

• World class ergonomic design
• Up to a 1.4Ghz WM8980 ARM Cortex- A9 Dual-Core processor
• ARM Mali-400 Dual-Processor GPU
• Supports up to 2GB DDR3 RAM and 16GB NAND Flash
• Thin design of only 4.5mm on top edge and 3mm on side edge
• Ultra-lightweight, only 650g for 10.1” and 370g for 7” designs
• Support for up to 8M rear camera and 2M front camera
• High compatibility with WiFi and 3G Cellular Networks
• Expansive I/O including one Mini HDMI port, one Micro SD port (up to 32GB), 1 USB and Micro-USB OTG port, and one 3.5mm stereo headphone jack
• Up to 8000MAH battery for 10.1” and up to 3400MAH battery for 7” designs
• Simple and efficient manufacturing and assembly process for easier production
• Advanced hardware security engine
• Android 4.2 available