Data & Research

Lumia love to push Windows Phone past iOS in smartphone race by 2015, reports IHS iSuppli

Microsoft set to grab 16.7% share

Lumia love to push Windows Phone past iOS in smartphone race by 2015, reports IHS iSuppli
Having lifted the lid on its US flagship Lumia 900 at CES 2012, analysts have begun to speak of Nokia's Windows Phone assault with renewed vigour.

Case in point: the latest study by IHS iSuppli predicts the next few years will see Nokia's partnership with Microsoft shaking things up in the smartphone market, with Windows Phone's market share overtaking iOS to take second spot behind Android by 2015.

Specifically, the firm's findings indicate Windows Phone will grab 16.7 percent of the market, compared to 16.6 percent for iOS and 58.1 percent for Android.

Hot stuff

Such a rise would represent some jump from the 1.9 percent share the firm claims Windows Phone amassed in 2011, but IHS iSuppli believes Nokia's Lumia range has the power to be a game changer.

"One of the hottest new products unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show was the Lumia 900, a Windows Phone-based smartphone sporting a flashy set of features that makes it competitive with the best alternatives offered by the Android camp," said senior analyst Wayne Lam.

"This hot product represents Nokia's first step to reclaim its market share. Combined with Nokia's efforts to drive the development of the Windows Phone ecosystem, the Lumia 900 and its successors will help Microsoft to reclaim its No. 2 ranking in smartphone operating system market share in 2015."



One of the driving factors behind the body's projections is Nokia's grand ambitions in the US market, with the firm's decision to launch Lumia 900 in North America first set to pay dividends.

Look out, Nokia's about

"In the past, Nokia always introduced new technologies in its home European market first," said senior principal analyst Francis Sideco.

"However, for the Lumia 900 - Nokia's first LTE phone - the company initially is rolling it out in North America. This demonstrates Nokia's commitment to re-enter the region."

The body also cites an apparent intention by Nokia to target BlackBerry's stranglehold on the enterprise market, making use of Microsoft's strong connections in the sector.

Of course, Nokia isn't the only OEM supporting Windows Phone, but IHS iSuppli see the Finnish firm accounting for 50 percent of all handsets manufactured in 2012, rising to 62 percent in 2013 before dipping again in 2014 as rivals begin to up their output on the OS.

"Because of Nokia's support, apps developers will eagerly shore up the Windows platform," added Lam.

"This will cause other makers of Windows Phone devices, such as Samsung and HTC, to offer more products supporting the OS - further expanding the market."

[source: IHS]

When Matt was 7 years old he didn't write to Santa like the other little boys and girls. He wrote to Mario. When the rotund plumber replied, Matt's dedication to a life of gaming was established. Like an otaku David Carradine, he wandered the planet until becoming a writer at Pocket Gamer.