As keyboards become standard equipment for Windows 8-based tablets, while some iPad users purchase a keyboard for convenience, shipments of keyboard-integrated tablet covers are expected to quickly rise in the fourth quarter and will increase further in 2013, according to sources from keyboard players.
The sources estimate that shipments of iPad-use keyboard-integrated covers will account for 15% of total iPad shipments in 2012 and since Digitimes Research expects 8.9-inch iPad shipments to reach 47 million units for the year, the accessory's shipments from the iPad segment are estimated to reach 7.05 million units.
Meanwhile, with shipments of Microsoft Surface, which natively features the accessory, estimated to reach around 3-5 million units in 2012, total shipments of keyboard-covers are expected to reach at least 10 million units in the year.
Traditional methods such as equipping a built-in keyboard in the tablet or offering a detachable keyboard are more expensive, the sources noted that keyboard-cover's lower costs and their thin industrial design should allow the accessory to become popular.
The sources pointed out that there are several upstream suppliers including Ko Ja and ShunOn Electronic (SOE) aggressively supplying thin films for the accessory to the keyboard makers and Ko Ja is also the keyboard component supplier for Microsoft's Surface.
Keyboard to become a standard equipment for Windows 8 tablets
Photo: Michael Lee, Digitimes file photo
Article translated by Joseph Tsai
