One year following the launch of Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform, a new analysis has determined that the Redmond, Washington-based company’s share of the global smartphone market recently hit a new low. According to analyst Horace Dediu, Microsoft’s partners sold 1.4 million smartphones in the second quarter of 2011. The figure, if accurate, would represent roughly 1.3% of smartphones sold in the quarter — Microsoft’s lowest recorded share to date. Gartner estimates that Microsoft partners sold 1.7 million Windows Phones during the same period for a 1.6% share of the market. Read on for more.
Nokia is now on board and ready to unveil its first batch of Windows Phones, and things are expected to pick up for Microsoft’s struggling mobile platform. Nokia’s cell phone business is in decline as well, but the companies are banking on Nokia’s scale and Microsoft’s software prowess to turn things around — and a reportedly sizable marketing budget shouldn’t hurt, either. Android and iOS have emerged as the dominant platforms for the near term, but many analysts believe Microsoft’s Windows Phone is the best bet for a viable third option. Some even think Microsoft’s share of the smartphone market will top all platforms in the near future.
With the Nokia partnership about to bear fruit and rumors of a huge advertising push that may even approach Apple’s massive marketing budget, Windows Phone will have as good a chance as any other platform to succeed. The company clearly stumbled out of the gate, but as graceful and intuitive as its mobile OS is compared to several alternatives, we certainly could be looking at a strong second wind.
And if things don’t work out with Windows Phone, there’s always Android.
