14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has rolled out several budget Windows Phone models in the last six months, in a clear attempt to gain market share, but according to figures provided by research firm Gartner, these efforts are yet to pay off.
In the first quarter of 2015, Microsoft's Windows Phone dropped to a global market share of 2.5 percent, down from 2.7 percent in the same quarter of the previous year.
More than 8.2 million Windows Phone devices were sold during the period, an increase from 7.5+ million the year before, Gartner says.
Android also lost some users, but the world's number one mobile platform only dropped from 80.8 percent to 78.9 percent in the first quarter of the year, while iOS actually increased from 15.3 percent to 17.9 percent in Q1 2014 vs. Q1 2015.
If you're curious how Windows Phone is doing against Android, it's worth knowing that a total 265 million phones running the latter were sold during this quarter, while Microsoft's mobile OS was installed on only 8.2 million phones shipped in the same period.
“The performance of Windows Phone remained flat, mainly due to a weak ecosystem and a less desirable mobile brand, together with a strong and established competitive smartphone market. The upcoming Windows 10 will create a consistent user experience across all devices, but it remains to be seen whether developers will follow,” said Roberta Cozza, research director at Gartner.
Windows 10 Mobile coming later this year
The 2.5 percent market share cannot be satisfying for Microsoft, so everyone is now hoping that Windows 10 Mobile, the improved version of its smartphone platform that will arrive later this year, will finally make a difference and bring more people on board.
Windows 10 Mobile will allow Android and iOS app developers to port their apps with minor tweaks, so the lack of apps should no longer be an issue for Windows phone users.
Windows 10 Mobile is currently in development, and according to people familiar with Microsoft's plans, it will arrive in the fall of 2015, most likely in October.