Microsoft’s U.S. smartphone market share remains flat in July

By Tom Warren, on 30th Aug 11 5:44 pm with 65 Comments

The latest figures from comScore show that Microsoft’s U.S. smartphone market share has remained flat in July.

The figures, released by comScore on Tuesday, show that Microsoft’s market share has flattened out to 5.7% in July, down slightly from 5.8% in June. ComScore previously reported Microsoft’s market share as 5.8% for May too. The stats are another good sign that Microsoft’s market share has stopped bleeding since its Windows Phone 7 launch. The company’s market share has dropped by 35% since Windows Phone 7 devices went on sale in the U.S. during November 2010. The software giant held 9% market share in November 2010 which has since dropped to just 5.8% in June 2011.

November 2010: 9%
February: 7.7%
March: 7.5%
May: 5.8%
June: 5.8%
July: 5.7%

Microsoft could be on the brink of turning its fortunes around in the mobile market. The company is banking on Nokia to help it generate significant interest during 2012. IDC predicts Windows Phone 7 will account for over 20% market share, above iOS’s 15% in 2015. The prediction is based on the significant implications of the recent Nokia and Microsoft deal. Nokia is expected to make Windows Phone 7.5 devices available in October alongside competition from Samsung, Acer and HTC.

Microsoft’s application marketplace continues to grow. The software giant recently passed 30,000 applications and is expected to hit 40,000 apps in time for the one-year anniversary of Windows Phone 7. Windows Phone 7.5 devices are expected to be unveiled by HTC on September 1. Microsoft recently announced that the company had finished and signed off its final copy of Windows Phone 7.5 “Mango”.

Microsoft U.S. smartphone market share - comScore

GP007

People are waiting for new hardware so Aug will be flat as well just like July while, if phones go on sale, Sept should show some uptake finally.

On that note, RIM is still dropping like a brick in water, 4% is pretty big sales wise when we’re talking in the mid 20% market share.
- Aaron
  
  I have at least one anecdotal piece of evidence for your statement. My wife is starting to demand a smartphone, but I have been begging her to wait until the next wave of hardware comes out in the next few months. Problem is, her birthday is in September, and it is looking like some of the really great stuff (Nokia) wont come out till October or November.
- Joe05
  
  RIM = 16% drop going from 25.7% to 21.7%
  MSFT = 15% drop going from 6.7% to 5.7%
  
  Yes a a total percentage drop RIM’s is bad but in context of percentage of market share we are sadly looking at a similar hit. I afraid trying to find any thing positive about this report is purely dreaming.
- Bames Jond
  
  In the meantime, the market share for google and apple continue to increase. Yes, the problem is that everyone is waiting for new hardware/nokia/mango/their 24-month contract to end.
  
  When I try a WP7, I say “wow, that’s really sleek!” or “that’s freakin’ awesome” or “live tiles are amazing” or “this beats apple and google!”. But come time to pick a new phone, I reach for an android, simply because it’s been out for a while. I’ll probably wait for another 2 years before even considering buying a WP7
- Bames Jond
  
  And just to add another 2c:
  
  I think Microsoft’s marketing team is doing a poor job.
  Promising future products? Mango? Tango? Nokia?
  
  For me (and I’m sure many others), the lifecycle of the product is a mess. Why buy one now, when a series of better ones are (promised to be) coming out soon? Sure, the updates and/or new releases may take as long (if not longer) than competitors such as Apple and Google, but as a consumer, I’m under the impression that if I buy a WP7 device now, a new one is going to pop up next month, leaving me with an older device.
  
  I personally think WP7 is a good device, but can’t help but feel that it’s being marketed by developers (transparency! fast updates! 500 new features!) instead of true marketing people.
GP007

People are waiting for new hardware so Aug will be flat as well just like July while, if phones go on sale, Sept should show some uptake finally.

On that note, RIM is still dropping like a brick in water, 4% is pretty big sales wise when we’re talking in the mid 20% market share.
GP007

People are waiting for new hardware so Aug will be flat as well just like July while, if phones go on sale, Sept should show some uptake finally.

On that note, RIM is still dropping like a brick in water, 4% is pretty big sales wise when we’re talking in the mid 20% market share.
GP007

People are waiting for new hardware so Aug will be flat as well just like July while, if phones go on sale, Sept should show some uptake finally.

On that note, RIM is still dropping like a brick in water, 4% is pretty big sales wise when we’re talking in the mid 20% market share.
http://twitter.com/Translatethis27 Translatethis27

Why is it so bad for Microsoft? Manufacturers will the new phones. But they seem difficult to sell?
http://twitter.com/Translatethis27 Translatethis27

Why is it so bad for Microsoft? Manufacturers will the new phones. But they seem difficult to sell?
- Anonymous
  
  Wut ?! Oo
- Anonymous
  
  Who said it is bad? Yeh, some stupid reporters. As Tom Warren just said, this is good news for WP7. This is exactly something we are waiting for.
- http://www.searingarrow.com AlienSix
  
  Learn to write like an adult and then I’ll give you a viable answer.
- rsgx
  
  This troll deserves nothing.
- rsgx
  
  This troll deserves nothing.
- Guest
  
  The good news is that your broken and unintelligible English can be fixed with additional study. I’d suggest Rosetta Stone. Sadly, there’s no fix for your being an angry troll.
- Kris
  
  “Your being an angry troll” isn’t much better in the grammatical department than what he wrote. Remember, not everyone is a native English speaker.
- Aaron
  
  I’m going to try to interpret your second sentence and give an answer for it. The OEM’s didn’t make “new” phones for WP7, they simply slapped WP7 on a few old re-hashed Android sets.
  
  As for the reason why WP7 isn’t a success yet:
  1) OEM’s focus more on Android.
  2) Store shelf space is 70% Android, 25% iPhone, and 5% WP7. Customers never see or are told about WP7 by the staff at the stores.
  3) Microsoft once again fails at marketing.
- WatsonB
  
  In the list we need to add poor relationships with Carriers, MS for years has been very hard to work with as a partner, with more interest in doing things the MS way rather then working to find a way that works with the Carriers. After years of being treat like this Carriers was eager to jump on the Android bandwagon and walk away from MS. As much as we complain about Carriers not supporting WP7 it is a refection of how MS treated carriers before WP7.
- Gurest
  
  What a load of crap, new troll.
- Guest
  
  Just look at the lack of support at store level for the product, that alone prove WatsonB point. It does not make me happy either but it is part of the problem.
http://twitter.com/Translatethis27 Translatethis27

Why is it so bad for Microsoft? Manufacturers will the new phones. But they seem difficult to sell?
http://www.facebook.com/jayswanson42 Jay Swanson

At this point people are at least buying WP7 devices at the same rate WM6 is being abandoned. Give it a few more months and we’ll start to see noticable positive growth.
http://www.facebook.com/jayswanson42 Jay Swanson

At this point people are at least buying WP7 devices at the same rate WM6 is being abandoned. Give it a few more months and we’ll start to see noticable positive growth.
http://www.facebook.com/jayswanson42 Jay Swanson

At this point people are at least buying WP7 devices at the same rate WM6 is being abandoned. Give it a few more months and we’ll start to see noticable positive growth.
- Guest
  
  No that is not the case a year ago WM had about 10% market share. :(
- Anonymous
  
  At this point. Not the point a year ago, but this point.
- Guest
  
  At this point we are talking a total of 130,000 WP7 phones sold in a month where 587,000 smartphones are being sold in a week. We are seeing 3% growth with WP7 while the market is growing at 10% so AT THIS POINT if this sales RATE continues at this level MS mobile OS will hold a 2.5% market share in 12 months.
- Gurest
  
  Except that Nokia hasn’t kicked in and therefore there’s no reason to think the rate will continue vs improve.
- Guest
  
  But Nokia has no sales in the states, no positive branch image, and poor carrier relationship to fight against. It is why they are not even bothering to introduce their first WP7 phone in the state. At best we will see them 2nd qtr of 2012. That all special further decline for MS OS.
- Guest
  
  But Nokia has no sales in the states, no positive branch image, and poor carrier relationship to fight against. It is why they are not even bothering to introduce their first WP7 phone in the state. At best we will see them 2nd qtr of 2012. That all special further decline for MS OS.
- Guest
  
  But Nokia has no sales in the states, no positive branch image, and poor carrier relationship to fight against. It is why they are not even bothering to introduce their first WP7 phone in the state. At best we will see them 2nd qtr of 2012. That all special further decline for MS OS.
- Guest
  
  But Nokia has no sales in the states, no positive branch image, and poor carrier relationship to fight against. It is why they are not even bothering to introduce their first WP7 phone in the state. At best we will see them 2nd qtr of 2012. That all special further decline for MS OS.
- Guest
  
  But Nokia has no sales in the states, no positive branch image, and poor carrier relationship to fight against. It is why they are not even bothering to introduce their first WP7 phone in the state. At best we will see them 2nd qtr of 2012. That all special further decline for MS OS.
- Guest
  
  But Nokia has no sales in the states, no positive branch image, and poor carrier relationship to fight against. It is why they are not even bothering to introduce their first WP7 phone in the state. At best we will see them 2nd qtr of 2012. That all special further decline for MS OS.
- Guest
  
  No that is not the case a year ago WM had about 10% market share. :(
http://www.facebook.com/people/Viki-Maverick/100002523433166 Viki Maverick

Now wait. HD2 just had a Mango release. That itself could increase the count by 1% if most HD2 owners port WP7.
- Aaron
  
  I believe the stats already include Windows Mobile users.
The Black Mamba

While the app + service model is the new trend of computing paradigm, If Microsoft is able to offer an operation system that is simultaneously and fully integrated with social service, storage, suite productivity and all the things that are common among consumers, the whole idea of post-PC will suddenly becomes yesterday headlines. Windows phone 7 is the first product (OS) of Microsoft that is going towards that direction and from using windows phone 7, I can tell is well-integrated with what people do the most today with skydrive, office365, Facebook twitter and most importantly search.

And with Microsoft’s recent acquisition of Skype, we all can expect something exciting for both windows 8 and WP7. Someone only need to look at how well integrated service like Facebook, twitter and office365 are into WP7 to have a sense of what possible with Skype + windows 8 + WP7, and I almost for XB360 If Microsoft is able to replicate WP7 design and integration to windows 8 or something slightly better, a new era of PC-plus not post-PC will then begin . And for a developer point of views, Microsoft does offer the best developing tools which is a plus for PC compare other platforms especially for HTML5 + CSS based applications. while the the service + app model is shifting to a new computer paradigm, and that is rightfully so, what is also important is an operation system that flawlessly integrate the different elements for both mobile, tablet and desktop. WP7 is the first OS to shift towards that direction, and having used the new apple desktop OS, I am convince windows 8 will the first operation system that will provide such integration with an UI will be similar on all devices on phone, slate and desktops (all falling under PC categories).

PC = Personal phone + personal slate + personal laptop + personal desktop ( with full integration of services and highest level of synchronization of data, there is really no difference between them) Windows 8 makes
- MSfan
  
  WTF?????????? sounds like you grabbed a bag full of Ballmer buzz words and just poured them out indiscriminately in the comment box.
- MSfan
  
  WTF?????????? sounds like you grabbed a bag full of Ballmer buzz words and just poured them out indiscriminately in the comment box.
- MSfan
  
  WTF?????????? sounds like you grabbed a bag full of Ballmer buzz words and just poured them out indiscriminately in the comment box.
Anonymous

AM hoping Mango and the New Phones would change it
Nokia alone would shift nothing less than 10 million WP7 units, they are a strong brand and are respected wordwide
Nokia is actually WP7 saviour.
I hope by jabuary WP7 would have something around 8% then it rises and keeps going on
- Guest
  
  That may have been a possibility a few years ago but Nokia is breeding market share everywhere, and Elop has pretty killed the relationships with Carriers throughout the world not to mention how quickly the brand is loosing mindshare with consumers.
- Guest
  
  Keep hoping, do you understand mango will have to improve sales 300% just so WP7 can keep a 5.7% market share a year from now? That not doubling sales but tripling sales to remain flat!
- http://www.hcltouch.com Hcltouch
  
  Totally Agreed with you…and seeing latest scenario in iphones and Android phones it will be way difficult for Mango to reach that much improvement….
- Guest
  
  Keep hoping, do you understand mango will have to improve sales 300% just so WP7 can keep a 5.7% market share a year from now? That not doubling sales but tripling sales to remain flat!
Ajmstilt

I’m waiting to at least see what new Nokia phones come out in the Fall before buying one myself. My Zune just crapped out, and I almost picked up a WP7 phone this past weekend. I decided to hold off a couple more months. I can’t be alone in waiting.
Aaron

Tom I appreciate you trying to find the positive side of things by calling this bottoming out. Windows bottoming out at 90% is a good thing for Microsoft. If IE bottoms out at around 50%, that would be a good thing for Microsoft. If Windows Phone had bottomed out around 20% or even 15%, then I might see it being called a positive. But 5%? I love WP7, but that is not good news at all. That basically means that only the die hard MS fans like us are buying the phone. God I hope Nokia and Mango can turn things around.
- WatsonB
  
  Good post Aaron, the more we live with the illusion that there is reason to believe something good is happen with the OS the longer it will be to correct the problems that is leading to this OS tanking.
  
  That starts with MS management that has no idea how to sell to consumers.
  
  Other then the xBox (w/ Kinect) that has yet to give us some ROI, Ballmer and company expects success by “pushing” product through the channels rather creating a product that get pulled through the channels. As a result we see product late to markets, promoted poorly, and partners not really committed to it’s success.
- Guest
  
  The good news is WP7 has 30,000 apps, the phones are not selling but we have 30.000 apps, and if they keep growing at this rate there will be one app for every WP7 owner!
Anonymous

Until the new the new mango devices are introduced the market share will remain fairly flat..
Guest

I guess if you want to be optimistic, share has to stop declining before it can reverse. So perhaps this is the start of that.
Anonymous

Considering the kind of free fall it was in, I’d say staying flat is a positive thing. Will mango devices increase the market share? Time will tell.
- Aaron
  
  I would like to see this as a positive as well but I can’t when it is down to 5%. Of coarse a product will “bottom out” when its approaching the actual bottom.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_JSUY2332FTJA73WWHY3HWXVWHU prathyush

waiting for mango on verizon
Anonymous

I would have seriously thought that Verizon Trophy was going to make a dent, a positive dent, in the stats. Bummer.
- Aaron
  
  My brother was eager to jump onto WP7 but wanted to stick with Verizon. After several months, Verizon finally released an old re-hashed Android phone as its only WP7 phone. My brother decided to wait until better hardware came along. Simply put, Verizon’s single phone is worse hardware and more expensive than the offerings from AT&T and others. They just don’t care about WP. Got my Focus for $0 back in November.
Anonymous

Pre-Mango fail = fail. Yes Mango will be the magical savior of Microsoft!
http://twitter.com/laserfloyd Lewis McCrary

I am also waiting until the new mango phones come out to upgrade (and give my wife my current phone bwahaha!). Flattening out is good. Will probably stay flat until well into Fall. If it keeps dropping then MS will have to have change the game plan.
- Alien666
  
  I think MS need to do with mobile what I have to do all the time with my XP computer: REBOOT
Anonymous

For sure Windows Mobile share will continue to sink like a stone until it is gone. If sales of WP7 are already offsetting the lose of WM users even before the Mango devices come out then that is good news.
phil jay

is it called 7.5 or 7.1? I’m pretty sure officially its 7.1
Bigblacknight

Before you Judge, they are talking about Microsoft Smart Phones, not Windows Phone 7 Devices only, of course everyone is getting rid of Windows Mobile 6 And windows Mobile 6.5, we are waiting for Mango, we hope things get better by then.
5Media FRT

Windows Phone is likely to take Android’s strategy, and it will most likely be successful in it. iOS might face serious otruble in the future since it is only offered on one phone http://radiomobiletech.com/blogposts/windows-phone-may-take-20-percent-of-market-by-2015.html

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Microsoft’s U.S. smartphone market share remains flat in July