Channel sales boom for Android tablets

Windows 8 tablets held just one per cent market share through western European distributors in first six weeks of Q2, according to Context

Tablet sales through distribution across Western Europe doubled in the first six weeks of the second quarter, according to Context.

The analyst's research shows that sales of tablet PCs rocketed by 101 per cent compared to the same period last year, driven by a surge in demand for Android-based tablets, which grew six-fold year on year.

Context's figures looked at tablet sales via distribution and only considered slate form factors and not hybrid models.

In earliy 2013, Android took the lion's share of the market - 63 per cent - with iOS tablets snatching 36 per cent. Windows 8-based tablets held a marginal share of just one per cent.

Context put Android's success down to ensuring low-end pricing, and predicted further growth for the operating system on tablets.

Context said: "Android-based tablets have enjoyed rising popularity recently following a number of low-spec, low-end product launches and the ensuing decline in pricing.

"Looking forward, Android sales are expected to continue to drive growth in upcoming quarters as an increasing number of PC vendors have begun to include Android in their OS strategy."

Reseller Bechtle's software manager Richard Gibbons attributed the boom in Android-based tablets to low price points but said businesses tend to "write them off pretty quickly" due to security fears. Windows 8-based tablets will increase their market share once the new operating system is more established, he predicted.

He said: "At the minute, stock is still poor for Windows 8 tablets and as that improves then manufacturers will make more, prices will come down and more people will buy them. Windows 8 only came out in October so it still only a eight-month market."

Gibbons added that interest in Windows 8 tablets is huge, and that after Microsoft launched its Surface Pro in the UK yesterday, the reseller was turning customers away as the vendor has still not confirmed or denied any plans to give the channel the tablets.