We just published our latest tablet apps processor market tracker and calculate that the market registered a staggering 167 percent year-on-year growth in Q3 2011.

Some highlights from our quarterly tablet apps processor tracker:

- The non-iPad tablet applications processor market outgrew the iPad applications processor market in Q3 2011, almost quadrupling during the quarter.

- Apple led the tablet apps processor market with 54 percent unit shipment share in Q3 2011 on the strength of its content and developer ecosystem leadership in the tablet and smartphone markets.

- In the non-iPad tablet market, Texas Instruments (TI) took the leadership position with 47 percent unit shipment share with the help of high-profile design-wins.

- NVIDIA ranked number two in the non-iPad tablet apps processor market and showed 35 percent sequential growth in Q3 2011.

- Despite its leadership poisition in the smartphone market, Qualcomm is relatively a minor player in the tablet market. However, we expect the company to become a significant player with Windows 8 design-wins in 2012-13. Samsung also featured in our top-five non-iPad tablet apps processor rankings.

- In terms of architecture split, we estimate that ARM-based processors accounted for 98 percent of total tablet applications processors shipped in Q3 2011. Intel is currently focusing on the Ultrabook PC segment to tackle the tablet market threat and we believe it will take another 6-12 months for the company to outline its broad tablet strategy.

The tablet apps processor market is still in its nascent stage and we can expect to see a lot of future market dynamics as most tablet OEMs are still trying to come up with a profitable business model.