Windows Phone Actually Gaining Market Share In Some Countries

Nerval's Lobster writes "Last week, research firm IDC issued a report suggesting that Windows Phone shipments exceeded those of the iPhone in seven countries around the world, including Argentina, India, Poland, and Russia. The data startled some people — Daring Fireball's John Gruber, for example, blogged his skepticism. As the story gained a bit more momentum, The New York Times' Nick Wingfield reached out to IDC analyst Kevin Restivo for a bit more clarification: 'IDC's numbers also reflect only the official number of cellphones imported into the countries,' he wrote. 'Mr. Restivo said that in some countries, like Argentina, high government taxes mean there is a very significant gray market in cellphones, which IDC doesn't track.' Now new survey data from Kantar Worldpanel uggests that Windows Phone is indeed gaining some sort of momentum in some parts of the world: Android was responsible for 51.2 percent of smartphone sales in the U.S. for the quarter ended February 2013, followed in second by Apple's iOS with 43.5 percent, with Windows Phone edging up into third place with 4.1 percent. BlackBerry trailed in fourth with 0.7 percent, down significantly from its 3.6 percent market-share last year. That doesn't mean that Windows Phone will prove any sort of champion in the near term, but maybe the platform isn't totally on life support."

Slow Burn

[im_thatoneguy]

It's unlikely either iOS or Windows Phone will ever attain android levels of adoption--however, I remember working on Android marketing for the first couple years and sales were pretty sad then too. Maybe it's because Windows Phone finally has Chase, United and official pandora apps but it feels like it might have finally hit the app threshold to be taken seriously in the last few weeks.

Seeing as BB10 has all of Android's apps it might be able to leapfrog Windows Phone's "lost year" but now they're back where WP was at the beginning of last year. So even if they are a year ahead of where Windows Phone *was* they'll still be behind (just like Windows Phone is behind Android).

Regardless of whether or not Windows Phone is a success--it was a necessary effort on MS' fault. It laid the groundwork for all of their Windows strategy. If nothing else it is functioning well as a large R&D effort to make Windows 9 a run-anywhere OS. Windows 8 is already slowly displacing Windows phone. W8 is the kernel, W8 is driving the app framework now... undoubtedly by W9 both the phone and PC will be the same OS through and through.

In the long run the question will be whether or not a Tablet/Phone OS (android) can scale up to handle PC duties better than a PC OS (Windows) can scale down to handle phone duties. Windows Phone 8 as a proof of concept has already proven it's possible. But we don't have a desktop android to compare it to. But like I said, one way or another a single OS is the direction everything is headed. And if Microsoft didn't invest in Windows Phone, windows would ultimately die. Market share in the mobile phone device is IMO secondary to this goal. Meanwhile Apple still has to go through this painful transition at some point in the future.

I know that it's April 1st

[ModernGeek]

I know that it's April 1st, but can we make these articles at least a LITTLE believable? That's the whole point in getting the "... gotcha!" at the end.

Re:Slow Burn

[fredgiblet]

Indeed. I've said before and I'll say again, I think MS is finally ahead of the curve. It's possible they're too far ahead, changing things too fast, but I expect that in 5-10 years Google and Apple will both have converged their Operating Systems as well and the idea of a computer without a tablet-oriented default interface will be considered silly.

MS needs to release a docking station for the Surface that lets it act like a desktop, of course they'd prefer to keep people buying both as long as possible.

well

[smash]

... it's not going to LOSE market share is it? You can't really lose much from 1%

Maybe you are ignoring the real reason ?

[aphelion_rock]

Nokia made big inroads into the cell-phone market because their products were easy to use. Microsoft teamed up with Nokia [microsoft.com] with the view of entering the marked with a Microsoft powered device. This is the result.

Speaking to the people who own a Windows phone, they are very happy with it. People are familiar with Windows and Nokia's reputation for useability has probably paid dividends.

Not all of the users of cell-phones are the younger generation who easily adapt to a complicated device.

Re:Slow Burn

[Zontar The Mindless]

If Ubuntu is ahead of the curve, I'll follow a straight line instead.

Ignoring the rather dubious maths.

[tuppe666]

It's funny how people are quick to make fun of Windows Phone. It's like they don't realize that Windows Phone has market share that is 3-4 times larger than desktop Linux's market share.

Its not funny, its depressing. Linux occupys about 75% of the phone market compared to Microsoft 2.6% [Less if we count incompatible OS] at the cost of Nokia/Microsoft represent market shares of 25%/10% highs before their merger [self mutilation].

It shows how well Linux shines compared to Microsoft when Microsoft it unable to use its Oppressive Microsoft Monopoly [or simply by being one] can successfully restrict competition. When you see Microsoft complaining [and throwing Billions at the problem] it can't get market share by not being able to access first party Google apps; not getting carriers to sell its product. Its kind or ironic. The fact that its not a good product just an aside

Linux on the Desktop continues to grow, nobody is noticing, because the Desktop is not sexy right now, both to the shame of Apple and Microsoft, but funny never...I feel for those Nokia employees, that have been sacrificed for this White Elephant.