HTC (2498) is finally catching a break by getting the high-end Windows Phone 8X and budget Windows Phone 8S models out in Europe before Samsung’s Windows smartphones arrive. And just as well, because according to Mobile Magazine, Samsung’s (005930) volume advantage in the UK over its smaller Android rivals has become epic.
Over a three-month period before Christmas, Samsung sold 3.2 million Android phones in the UK while Sony (SNY) sold 500,000 units and HTC sold 440,000 units.
The UK market used to be one of the most favorable for the Sony Ericsson brand, but it’s still surprising to see Sony gaining this sort of foothold in Europe’s second-biggest smartphone market so rapidly after the emergence of the stand-alone Sony smartphone brand. Samsung’s Android dominance is so absolute that second-tier brands now risk becoming a blurry group of also-rans with volume shipments under one-fifth of Samsung’s.
Could this be Microsoft’s (MSFT) chance to gain support from Asian phone vendors, who are getting steamrolled by Samsung in the Android market?
