Figures published for Q4 2011 suggests overall Windows Phone shipments jumped 36 percent sequentially from Q3, hitting a quarterly total of 2.7 million units.
The vast majority of that growth, it would appear, came from Nokia, with the Finnish firm grabbing 33 percent of the Windows Phone ecosystem.
New kid on the block
"Microsoft smartphone shipments remain tiny, but they are showing tentative signs of growth," said associate director Alex Spektor.
"Nokia overtook HTC and others to become the world's largest Microsoft smartphone vendor with 33 percent market share. Nokias global Microsoft smartphone shipments hit 0.9 million units, as distribution of its Lumia family expanded across numerous countries and operators."
Nokia's rise to prominence on Microsoft's platform is, of course, no surprise.
Though the Finnish firm remains independent, CEO Stephen Elop opted to support Windows Phone, thanks to Microsoft's financial support and because Android is already saturated by a multitude of OEMs.
Windows winners
In turn, Nokia's leadership and continued strong presence in Europe and developing markets should enable Windows Phone to expand at a far quicker rate than before.
Strategy Analytics executive director Neil Mawston believes both parties have cause to celebrate the news.
"An expanded portfolio of Windows Phone 7 models such as the Lumia 800, an increased retail presence and highly visible marketing campaigns across several European and Asian countries drove Nokias growth," he added.
"Nokia is by no means out of the woods yet, and it is still on a long road to recovery, but capturing top spot in the Microsoft smartphone ecosystem is an encouraging baby-step forward for the company."
Rivals beware
Strategy Analytics' figures are broadly in line with those released by Nokia itself at the end of January, with CEO Stephen Elop pegging Lumia sales at the time at "well over 1 million units".
Sales are not expected to slow down, either.
IHS iSuppli has already projected Nokia will go on to account for 50 percent of all Windows Phones shipped in 2012, with the forthcoming launch of the Lumia 900 in the US further expanding its position.
That's a share it believes will rise to 62 percent in 2013 as the platform expands.
Such is the rate of Nokia's growth that Strategy Analytics director of strategy Tom Kang thinks its rivals may be sleepwalking into obscurity.
"Nokia's Microsoft smartphone growth during the quarter was achieved partly by capturing market share from HTC," concluded Kang.
"This is a challenging development for HTC because it is also losing ground to Samsung in the Android segment. HTC is now at risk of being caught in a pincer movement between two giants of Samsung in Android and Nokia in Microsoft, and HTC must move with urgency to address the problem."
[source: Strategy Analytics]
