Microsoft Windows missed the late summer market, according to researchers at Context.
Sales of tablets across Western European Distribution increased by 76% year-on-year during the first eight weeks of Q3 2013, and by 23% sequentially, with Android the clear winner, according to the data.
This comes in preparation for the expected rise in consumer tablet demand during the current back-to-school period.
Growth continues to be driven by Android systems, which experienced a 240% year-on-year increase in unit sales for the period, driven by low price points.
Average sales prices for Tablet systems in Western European distribution in early Q313 were €163 for an Android Tablet versus €372 for an iPad, making Android tablets a strong choice for users who are looking for a secondary system to complement their existing home PC.
The Android ecosystem has benefited from increased competition and customer choice, as more PC vendors produce tablets based on the Google OS. There are also a number of local vendors, especially in southern European countries, who successfully offer Android tablets at low price points.
By contrast to Android's success, while iPad tablet sales saw a sequential increase, the year-on-year results for the period show a -9% drop.
"While strong Android sales could partially explain the year-on-year decline in iPad numbers, it should be remembered that Apple's Tablet sales in previous years benefited from new product launches during the spring. This year, Apple is rumoured to launch a new iPad in the autumn, and this is likely to have influenced consumers' recent purchasing decisions", commented Marie-Christine Pygott, senior analyst at CONTEXT.
Strong Android growth resulted in a further shift in tablet OS shares across distribution.
Android accounted for almost 67% of tablet sales in early Q313, up from 63% in early Q213 and from 35% one year before. Apple's iPad held a 32% share during the first 8 weeks of Q313, compared with 62% last year.
Windows 8 Tablet sales remained lower than expected, with a 0.9% share of total tablet sales across Western European Distribution in early Q313.