Just as Nokia reveals it's back in profit, the platform it chose to throw its weight behind more than a year ago now is finally gaining momentum in key territories.

Figures published by Kantar Worldpanel suggest Windows Phone enjoyed a strong Christmas in Europe, with its share in the UK almost tripling year on year.

In Italy, the news was even better, with Microsoft's share jumping by almost five times during the last year.

Up and down

The platform still has ground to make up, however. Kantar Worldpanel pegs Windows Phone's UK share at 5.9 percent at the end of 2012, with Nokia "experiencing a turnaround" in the region with a 6.2 percent share all of its own.

In all, Nokia sales were up 50 percent year on year.

"Among the handset manufacturers, Samsung has held onto the number one spot in Britain, claiming 35 percent of smartphone sales, although Apple is now biting at its heels with 32 percent," said global consumer insight director Dominic Sunnebo.

"Meanwhile, BlackBerry continues to find trading tough in the run up to the BlackBerry 10 release; however, its 9320 handset gave it a boost over Christmas with two-thirds bought as a gifts."

A new challenger appears

All eyes will be on BlackBerry 10's imminent launch, with RIM CEO Thorsten Heins having recently suggested the firm could consider selling off its hardware business or licensing out its software post launch.

As such, Kantar Worldpanel's assessment suggests the two way tussle between Android and iOS remains the dominant contest, but there are signs 2013 could be the year when other players begin to have a say.

"It has been far slower than Microsoft would have liked, but Windows Phone is now starting to gain respectable shares in a number of key European countries," added Sunnebo.

"However, its performance in the Chinese and US markets remains underwhelming. As the two largest smartphone markets in the world, these remain key challenges for Microsoft to overcome during 2013."

[source: Kantar Worldpanel]