Microsoft’s U.S. smartphone share down 35% following Windows Phone 7 launch

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ComScore issued its May report on mobile subscriber market share in the U.S. last week, and BGR noted that Google’s Android OS and Apple’s iOS grew more popular in the month, mostly at RIM’s expense. Perhaps equally as troubling as RIM’s continued slide, however, is Microsoft’s position with Windows Phone. As noted by winrumors, Microsoft’s share of the U.S. smartphone market has dropped a whopping 35% since it released its next-generation smartphone platform in November of last year. At that time, Microsoft’s Windows Mobile accounted for an estimated 9% of smartphones sold in the U.S. In May, Microsoft’s combined share was just 5.8%. We’re big fans of Windows Phone here at BGR, but the lack of carrier attention has left the OS as something of an afterthought thus far. With Windows Phone 7.5 “Mango” devices due later this year and Nokia set to launch its first Windows Phone before 2012, Microsoft is well-positioned globally. Here in the U.S. however, the Redmond-based tech giant needs far more carrier support if it hopes to make a dent in an already crowded smartphone market. ComScore’s May smartphone platform figures follow below.

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55 Comments
  • Anonymous

    This will change when the mango phones hit. That’s what I’m waiting for. Then i can throw my POS android phone out the fuking window.

    • Anonymous

      Precisely, its a much more polished and professional OS than Android. They need to provide some more basic functionality which is coming in Mango, then I can see greater carrier and most importantly developer support.

    • Friendlyhsi

      LMAO, we have 2 HTC Arrive in our stock sitting since launch and is not one have came into our store and ask for a windows phone 7 device.

      • Anonymous

        Yea, that’s because WP7 launched with an OS that wasn’t ready to compete. It lacked functionality that android and iOS already had. On top of that, you have fanboy bias carrier employee’s that are pushing Android and the iPhone because they don’t know any better. Half of them have never even played with a WP device. With mango the functionality of WP7 is even or slightly better then the rest, the device specs have been increased and with Nokia part of it as well. The tides are going to change. Especially if Microsoft throws some money at carriers like it needs to in order to push the phone like they should be doing.

      • Regan1212

        Typical idiot sales people.  I wasn’t a big fan of WP7 when I first saw it.  I thought it was to retro for me.  But I was tired of the blackberry and my wife had the iPhone for the last 2 and half year and was tired of the tile clutter hell. 

        But your comment goes to show the phone vendors know nothing so they do nothing.  I switched myself and my wife’s phone over to WP7 and haven’t looked back once.  The interface is far better then either one.  Yes, they don’t have as many apps, but I don’t need a million games and that many fart apps.  And the apps that are there look so much better and cleaner.  Don’t get me wrong, they still have a long way to go, but they are doing it right with this UI.  Give it time and then we will once again hate MS, because they will be the big brother in the phone world.  

      • Anonymous

        “ I don’t need a million games and that many fart apps”
        That’s that problem, most users do want thousands of useless apps and hundreds of decent games. Looking at the numbers, people do play games on their smartphones.

        Phones are toys now a days for many. They want their T-Pain App!

        WP7 only real marketing, the Really? commercials, went against this and tried to show the devices as super streamlined that get you in/out (which they are). But people don’t want this.

        They need a new marketing department/company and go after the less serious market. Not everyone wants to edit Word or play with their xbox avatar on their phone.

      • Anonymous

        The truth is the WP7 is bad. It is buggy, crashes, still feels beta.

        Mango won’t change anything bc the changes not visible to the average customer only, the change is only relevant to guys into tech.

        There is no reason to go to WP7, Apps “are” there; but bc of the lack of customer interest Devs will leave their apps in V1.0. Just like any unpopular OS

        WP7 is just KIN OS pro and by the way, it already looks old.

      • TaB

        @Conador77:disqus 
        The real truth is you have a bias and you feel the need to rant. Hopefully Micrsoft apologies to you for whatever it did to you as a child.

        I have 7 current devices, develop apps for 4 platforms and I haven’t had either of my 2 WP7 devices crash, once. 

        My iOS which has 26 apps installed at last count stuggles and has an annoying habit of freezing in email.  Which I have a long running conversation with Apple over and it’s something that is in the software.  Other than that it’s been a pretty good platform as you would expect from Apple.  The beta is pretty good, I had one strange lockout where the device wouldn’t wake but I have a feeling this could be a tired device rather than the os, my iPhone 4 has been hammered in its short life and has survived much better than the first gen iphones. The new focus on integration is great and similar to Mango, I think the layout is still tired and expect that will be addresed in due course, along with an even tighter control on devs to ensure consistency and end user experience. Some of the apps out there are just terrible.

        As for Androids stability … don’t get me started.  I’m still concerned over its potential security venurabilities but you never get to focus on that as your always doing hard resets.  Maybe it’s the devices, HTC and Samsung? who knows.  All I know is that I contract to a bank to develop their apps and I have major issues with liability for security infringement on Androids.  I wouldn’t want my kids using one for that reason.  However, the real moment for Android for me will be Google+ if they roll this out well and heavily integrate it into the device you potentially convert millions of Facebook users overnight, what really would be interesting is a WP style solution, like the me tile where you integrate facebook, twitter, foursquare and google + into one stream and update your status on all at once … that would be a killer app.

        WP7 is not without issues either, sections of the dev tools leave a lot to be desired and that is something that Redmond has been very keen to have an open discussion about and genuinely are active in correcting.  I have had Mango since its dev release and its very, very solid especially for a first release.  Much faster and much more powerful.

        With RIM, it’s probably not the worst but when I finish the current contract project I’m working on, I’m going to walk away from it for a while.  It’s just not intuitive enough, but again, their team is overly helpful generally and I think the new gen of devices will be good, who knows if they will sell though.

        Ultimately sex sells an iphone is sexy and an android is a cheap alternative to the norm.  That doesn’t mean the OS is buggy and shit as it is not.  If you have experienced this I’d suggest contact Microsoft directly, they’d be keen to hear it – it would seem to be the exception rather than the rule.  Suggestions that dev’s have made have all been included in Mango including some I have designed.  This attitude will see this platform succeed and remain regardless of immediate sales as Microsoft clearly wont let this die as Win 8 will focus on integration with the PC, device and Skydrive all of which Mango does amazingly well and it’s not even WP8.

        You may also notice some Mango features creaping into the new ios5.  These are features that we had confirmed before NoDo that were unique to this os. I can’t complain and in no way is that a shot at Apple, it makes my life easier and opens up some more avenues for work which is nice.

      • Anonymous

        That’s because when someone does ask about WP7, sales reps usually try to steer them to an android or iphone.

      • Anonymous

         Well, nobody wants a returned cellphone. If I know that something is not good I wouldn’t offer it to you bc you’ll come back to me angry. I’ll give you something that you’ll like even if you don’t know it yet.

      • Anonymous

        Cause we all know wp7 is still buggy, premature, does not have lots of good apps, and binged. So why offer them.

      • Jonathan

        Lawrence of Arabia and peacekeeper05, you truly have no idea what you’re talking about.
        Windows Phone is a very solid OS. I haven’t ever seen my Windows Phone crash.
        It actually has one of the lowest return rates of any smart phone, and ranks second (to Apple) in customer satisfaction according to a recent study, with a rating significantly higher than Android (57% very satisfied with WP vs. 50% with Android). Dr8820 is right that customers are steered toward Android and iPhone devices becuase they actually don’t know anything about Windows Phone.

        Also, WP has 95% of the apps and games that any average user looks for on an iPhone or Android, the exact same apps. The huge disparity in the respective sizes of WP’s app catalog versus iPhone and Android is not due to having fewer quality apps, but rather, because WP’s catalog is less diluted with the deluge of useless apps that you find on any of the 3 platforms.

    • Anonymous

      Hear me out.  Only way WP7 will reach impressive sales numbers is if the throw cash at VZW to market the crap out of it like they did with android.  If they don’t, well M$ will still be sitting at the bottom of mobile OS platforms.

      • Anonymous

        Agree about marketing on VZW. Until you mentioned it, and I looked at the VZW website, I wasn’t aware that they offered a WP7 device (actually, there are two).

      • Anonymous

        Don’t agree…if I hear more publicity here in Seattle about the HTC Trophy I’m going to explode. They even had a big event in a big mall just for this phone.
        WP7 is failing by itself.

      • tjhrulz

        Nobody gave VZW money to heavily advertise android, they needed android to stay alive and have a shot at getting the iPhone. But I do agree the VZW could use more advertising of windows 7

    • http://twitter.com/worldbfree4me worldbfree4me

      No one told you to buy a Motoblur in fact this Blog site and others recommeded against it. Also, Mango is hardly enough to stop WP7 from sinking into Smart Phone Abyss. If history is any indication, MS will stop supporting this OS when WP8 bows ala Zune!

    • http://www.twitter.com/wixostrix WixosTrix

      Exactly, I think these types of articles should mention that.  It makes people think that Microsoft is just sitting on their a**es and are failing to penetrate the market at all.  With Mango will come all the features that bring it to par and beyond, in some areas, with the competition.  They were probably never expecting growth until Mango anyway.  Limited marketing = limited penetration = great real world testing.  Most users right now probably are techies who will give MS feedback.  They’ve been doing this since Zune and I think it’s a great strategy.

  • bkj216

    0 Promo equals no one’s going to buy it.

    • http://identi.ca/LauRoman Laurențiu Roman

      Also WinMobile 6 (i’m not sure about 6.5) was awuful when it came to updates even compared to Symbian.

  • Anonymous

    I fail to understand why it is not catching on. My mum just bought an Omnia 7, and the OS is gorgeous. As an avid iOS user, I would much prefer this over android. 

    Admittedly it lacks some basic functionality, and it is still lacking in the apps department, but what it does do, it does incredibly well, and it is already well polished. 

    I think with the Mango update and the acquisition of Skype the platform will really kick off. Being so polished and intuitive, people will be attracted to this over android. I can see this and iOS really dominating the market in the forthcoming years.

    • Anonymous

      If you don’t mind answering, why did she buy an Omnia 7 over an iPhone or Android device?

      While WP7 fans laugh at the app grid home screens on Android and iOS, they are what people have come to relate to smartphones. WP7 being different doesn’t have the same connection for the average consumer. I think that, the lack of games/apps, and bad marketing are hurting them a lot.

      • Anonymous

        Well her first choice was an iPhone 4, but she just didn’t want to pay £35 a month, so I gave her an android and a WP7 to play with, and she was instantly drawn to WP7. I admit shes not exactly technologically inclined, but it was obvious she preferred the fluidity and intuitiveness of the WP7.

        You are right though poor marketing and lack of apps are hurting them, but they have plenty of time on their side. I haven’t seen a single TV ad in the UK about WP7, so I think its time they spent a bit of money on that side of things. Developers will come on board once the Mango update comes through. Its the lack of tools that are pushing them away right now, but Mango provides them with a lot.

      • Anonymous

        I didn’t realize European carriers had different monthly prices based on OS, £35 is still much cheaper then what we in the US pay, must be nice  =)

        I think they’ve stopped TV ads here too, I haven’t seen one since the initial “Really?” ads and then a couple afterwards promoting the XBL feature. Hopefully for them, MS will start a full on marketing campaign with Mango/Nokia.

        Android seems to be soaking up most new smartphone users and taking some from WM/RIM. MS needs to go after RIM users and companies. All the potential is there for WP7 to be “the” business OS and take RIM’s share.

    • Anonymous

      You fail to realize that it is not only wp7 that is developing. Android too is on its way to being a well polished OS. who know android 2.5 might be the best and smoothest platform ever to be created. :)

      • Anonymous

        Android has been around for several years, yet it lacks polish and intuitiveness. I just don’t believe that is a priority for the Android team. I think with a few more apps, WP7 will really take off.

      • Anonymous

        The term “polish” and “intuitive” is very subjective. It depends on the user, i for one feel android is more polished than wp7. i have hd7 i just hate how it looks and the lack of important features a smartphone should have is driving me away from it (like flash support and wifi tethering for example w/c i really needed badly). When google bought android, they had no background or knowledge when it comes to creating a mobile OS while windows has years of experience in windows mobile anf yet they forgot to include few of the simple things a OS should have.

  • Poppaphipps

    Its as good or better then IOS.  
    Problem is, no one besides techs/geeks knows how good it is.

    • Makoute

      And tech geeks probably will stay away, until all those missing features find their way to the os.  The fact that all the phones have last gen hardware at current hardware prices doesn’t help either.

    • Anonymous

       Techs/geeks go to Android by definition.
      Manufacturers/ carriers know how bad WP7 is.

  • Parasitesstudios

    They have to go after Android.  And marketing as well.  Android is so well known now, and the devices range from awesome to super cheap and crappy.  Windows P7 is a much better OS.  That being said, we had one in our family for a few weeks and returned it.  It was a Samsung Focus and the device itself just felt cheap.  Say what you want about Apple and HTC, but at least you can feel the quality.

  • Anonymous

    Meh they are to busy banking off Android to bother making their own platform better.

  • http://graydroid.wordpress.com Lezz

    So what ? MS will still make money out of Android  
    Go Steve .. Kick Big G where it hurts most ;)

  • Anonymous

    Meh. When you bunch WM and WP7 together and people are leaving WM, it make the numbers screwed. MS is fine with WP7. The numbers game is tricky.

    • Anonymous

      Seems fairly simple, the number of new WP7 users is not offsetting WM users leaving…

      • 1jaxstate1

         Why would it. As a current WP7 user and ex WM user. I went to Android after I dumped WM. I then moved to WP7, it takes time.

      • Anonymous

        I’m just wondering how long MS can let their marketshare slide. Unless people around the world follow Nokia as blindly as Apple in the US, I can’t see WP7 taking off. Now or a year from now.

        Even if every WM user switched to WP7, they are still doing fairly bad compared to the competition. You can only bribe devs for so long until they leave the OS behind. At this point Apps play a huge role in how well a phone does.

        I hope WP7 takes off, I would like to try it, but I couldn’t with how the devices are doing.

  • http://twitter.com/Ether813_IX Ian Ximinies

    You would think Microsoft would come up with some sort of incentive program for WM6.5 users to go to wp7. I liked wp7…it is just taking Mango and the hardcore devices too long to come out already….VZ = 1 wp7 device…

    • Anonymous

      I have and HD2 (running android) and I wouldn’t touch another Windows device even if they pay me, I just received the 2nd email from MS saying that MS myphone/marketplace (app store) is discontinued (even though HD2 was on sale at the begging of this year in tmo stores)
      Nice 7 months support MS!.

  • Bringit

    iPhone.

  • http://twitter.com/COMPUTERWOCHE COMPUTERWOCHE

    Mango is WP 7.1, BTW…

    • Anonymous

      It’s 7.5 have it on my Focus right now…

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_FAYWQOW3MOBVCWBG4VC4YK7BUE Claudine Ramos

    I paid $32.67 for a XBOX 360 and my mom got a 17 inch Toshiba laptop for $94.83 being delivered to our house tomorrow by FedEX. I will never again pay expensive retail prices at stores. I even sold a 46 inch HDTV to my boss for $650 and it only cost me $52.78 to get. Here is the website we using to get all this stuff, LiveCent.com

  • Anonymous

    LMAO! so much for windows phones being the market share leader in 2013.  true story™©®

  • Anonymous

    I thought analyst said that WP7 was going to take over the world in about a year LMAO.

    • Anonymous

      No, most analysts have shown 2013-2015 as the time frame they will overtake iOS.  And the market share is dipping for two reasons:  Windows Mobile is dropping like a stone, and thats included in the statistics, and Mangos release will be Microsofts kickstart of a large scale hard release.  The first release was more of a test bed while they amassed their huge feature update for this fall/winter with new hardware & the Nokia deal.

      • Anonymous

        I have some lakeshore property in Florida if you’re interested…

  • Yoyo

    There’s no demand and carriers don’t want to bother with Windows due to the past history with Windows and really the money is at iOS and AndroidOS that’s why Windows will continue to fail.

  • YoYo

    You guys also need to realize the average customer for a smart phone is buying them for the cool features they offer which is why Iphones/Androids sell so much, there’s no benefit for them getting a WP because the cool features they want are in greater supply on Iphone and Android. It doesn’t help that the whole damn phone line you support sounds complicated to the average customer, what do you think people think of when they see”Windows” in the phone lines name, they think computers and they think complexity tied to computers. Iphone and Droid are more simple and catchy for the consumer. And if im working as a sales person in a cell store you think im going to waste my time with a Windows phone, hell no…..the Droid/Iphone are where the money is at and that’s what consumers want. You need to accept the fact your market is very small and really not worth throwing money into because the return isn’t great/worth it. 

  • http://twitter.com/fredacampos fredacampos

    Well, if WP7 didn’t suck…perhaps it would do better.

  • Anonymous

    should have called it the zune phone and gotten away from the windows phone label… motorola realizes ppl hate motoblur even without using it so they stopped calling it motoblur…  calling the device windows phone pretty much turned off users from the jump especially those with horrible wm6 experiences.  i mean wp7 is a cool platform and i’d like it to succeed but they are taking the opposite direction they took with xbox for this…xbox is a success b/c ppl don’t think microsoft when they buy it… whoever does marketing for ms needs to get creative and they need to rebrand the line if they hope for success especially with that monster wp7 from htc coming out in the fall…

  • http://twitter.com/homescrub homescrub

    I don’t know about Microsoft.  My Android phone is so integrated, its hard to give up.  its the best hooker money can buy.  iPhone is just a slutty whore, that shes the knob everyone turns.  WP7, is the old whore, nobody wants. 

    Honestly, nothing iPhone or WP7 can do, that will make me change the way I love my Android phone.  Especially since Google+ is out.  Google has integrated Google Voice, GPS, Navigation, photos, notifications, its just…something that is hard to forget. 

    If anything, my phone does more than big apps and big blocks.  No thanks to iOS and WP7.  Suck my biscuits.

  • guidimusmaximus

    Here’s the basic problem with WP7.  Every advertisement I’ve every seen for it it shows a bunch of squares (that don’t line up) with some numbers on it.  How cool is that?  Its not cool, its not exciting, its blah boring and why would I want to buy a phone that consists of a bunch of squares with numbers on it that don’t line up.
    Duh!  Fix that 

  • http://www.sk1wbw.wordpress.com Wayne Williams

    I had a Samsung Focus.  While WP7 is, for sure, a very nice OS, let me tell you that the apps on the Windows Marketplace suck much donkey balls.  The *worst* Twitter app on the iPhone is *much* better than the best Twitter app on WP7.  Out of two months of using it, I had a total of 2 nice apps.  One was the free Twitter official app, and the other was Flux, an RSS reader. 

  • Anonymous

    Mango update my ass. Only techies will see the real benefits of a wp7 device. What people want are good apps not like what apps you see on the windows marketplace. Android is so well established now that it will take years for microsoft to even have a piece of google’s pie. What people fail to realize is that android is evolving too, not only wp7…

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