In Microsofts Windows Phone 7 will surpass Research In Motions (RIMs) BlackBerry and Apples iOS to become the second-ranked smartphone operating system in the world by 2015, according to a new report from research firm IDC.
Much of that gain will come courtesy of Microsofts recent partnership with Nokia, which will see Windows Phone 7 ported onto the latters devices. Up until the launch of Windows Phone 7 last year, Microsoft has steadily lost market share while other operating systems have brought forth new and appealing experiences, Ramon Llamas, an analyst at IDC, wrote in the March 29 report. The new alliance brings together Nokias hardware capabilities and Windows Phones differentiated platform, he added.
By 2015, IDC expects Windows Phone to be number 2 operating system worldwide behind Android, he said.
The IDC note then suggests that Androids share of the worldwide smartphone operating-system market come 2015 will be 45.4%, followed by Windows Phone with 20.9%, Apples iOS with 15.3%, RIMs BlackBerry with 13.7%, and Symbian with 0.2%. Undefined otherswhich includes, presumably, Hewlett-Packards webOS operating system will take the last 4.6%.
Should that come to pass, it would represent a substantial reversal from Microsofts current fortunes in the mobile space. According to a recent comScore report, Microsofts share of the U.S. smartphone market dipped 1.7% between October 2010 and January 2011, from 9.7% to 8.0%. That trailed Google, which ended January with 31.2% of the market, Research In Motion with 30.4% and Apple with 24.7%.
Microsoft confirmed at the end of January that some 2 million Windows Phone 7 units had been sold by manufacturers to retailers, but the exact number reaching consumers hands remains unclear. Our numbers are similar to the performance of other first-generation mobile platforms, Achim Berg, Microsofts Vice President of business and marketing for Windows Phones, mentioned in a Q&A posted Dec. 21 on the companys corporate Website. It takes time to educate partners and consumers on what youre delivering, and drive awareness and interest in your new offering. Were comfortable with where we are, and we are here for the long run, he added.
Microsoft also claims its Windows Phone 7 ecosystem has grown to 9,000 applications, with a base of 32,000 developers. But the company has encountered speed-bumps related to software updates for the platform, which in turn has sparked anger among some early adopters.
Nokias ownership of the U.S. smartphone market is negligible, but IDC says its Symbian operating system powers some 20.9 percent of smartphones worldwide. If the switchover to Windows Phone 7 occurs with relatively little attrition, then Microsoft has a substantial base from which to move forward with its smartphone plans. However, given the aggressiveness in the overall smartphone space, that remains a very big if. And the industry can trust that both Apple and RIM will do everything in their power to ensure that IDCs prediction never comes to pass.
Add new comment