Microsoft’s U.S. smartphone market share drops again in March

By Tom Warren, on 6th May 11 10:05 pm with 30 Comments

The latest figures from comScore show that Microsoft’s U.S. smartphone market share has dropped again in March.

The figures, released by comScore on Friday, confirm that Microsoft’s market share has dropped by 15% since devices went on sale in the U.S. during November 2010. Despite the gloomy figures, Microsoft has been pushing forwards with a marketing blitz recently for Windows Phone. The software giant created a dedicated Samsung Focus commercial recently to ask “what if?” and took over Times Square with a giant Windows Phone advert.

The figures might paint a bad picture but Microsoft 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 said recently that it plans to ship Windows Phone branded devices to developers when they are available later this year.

Microsoft’s developer story is strong however. The software giant recently passed 16,000 applications and is expected to hit around 30,000 apps in October. Windows Phone 7 launched on October 26 with 1,000 applications available. Six months later and the platform has increased over 10 fold. Microsoft appears to be building up a good momentum amongst application developers. The software giant added 3,000 applications in March alone after reaching its 10,000 milestone in early March.

Microsoft is currently hard at work on “Mango”, its next major release of Windows Phone. Microsoft has promised to ship “Mango” later in the year. “Mango” is currently in the early beta stages at Microsoft, built as 7.1 currently. The company revealed a number of new features in February that will ship as part of its Windows Phone point release later this year. Nokia is also reportedly waiting for the next release of Windows Phone before it unveils its first Windows Phone device.

Mango” currently contains multitasking, Internet Explorer 9 mobile and Twitter integration. Microsoft unveiled a number of key developer enhancements at its MIX11 conference earlier this month. Developers will have access to the Motion Sensor library and the camera, enabling augmented reality experiences. Phone integration has also been greatly improved for developers wanting to do more with their apps. The Live Tiles functionality has been expanded to give developers more flexibility and engage with their customers better.

Microsoft has also promised further developer related platform announcements during May. WinRumors understands that the company plans to share a future roadmap for Windows Phone a special developers day on May 25 in London. Microsoft is describing the event as a peek at the future and what lies ahead for Windows Phone. “As well as new capabilities, we’ll examine any changes to the tools and SDK and explore what opportunities these might create,” says Microsoft. “At this stage we’re unable to elaborate any further but expect it to be a day packed-full of inspiring information.”

Microsoft U.S. smartphone market share - comScore

  • Stephen James

    With results like this, its a good job Nokia are releasing phones soon enough. I love the os too much for it to fail..

  • http://www.seriousinternets.com Tim Smith

    I think it’ll drop a little more then start going up around Mango time. I think next year they’ll be well above the 10% mark.

  • Mister Twister

    I have my WP7 and I love it, everyone I now is impressed with it. Its only a matter of time until peoples contracts are up and they see a ton of amazing Nokia WP7 phones.

    • Npgmbr

      The only thing these constant articles about market share tell us is that people are ditching Windows Mobile. We know people are not going into two year contrats with WP7 and then canceling them to get stuck with an ETF.

  • http://twitter.com/Cody_Langman Cody Langman

    This is expected when you lump WinMo with WinPho. One is dying rapidly, the other growing.

    • http://fxfp.com/ Alex F.

      Exactly!

      I’d imagine WP7 sales are growing.

  • George-king

    The thing is, this is cumulative drop since Dec. If you look at the size of the monthly drops, that percentage is steadily decreasing, and is likely to reverse in the next month or two.

  • Oime

    Mango asap plix.

  • Ladewig

    Plus we still have Verizon who has yet to launch any Windows Phone model, although that should be coming soon.

  • Anonymous

    You know what else would help? If T-Mobile, Sprint and (next week) Verizon would promote the devices the way they did Android.

    Seriously, unless the whole “premier partner” label that AT&T has prevents it, it just doesn’t make sense to me that they are not giving these promotion comparable to Android devices when they initially received them (especially Verizon)…

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_Z6W56L5FCCEDHNOJT4NXML23R4 Isaac Barrett

    The Mango update will make a huge difference. I do have to say, they should have gotten Angry Birds a long time ago. People want the popular apps and waiting 6 months just isn’t cool.

    • Npgmbr

      Getting Angry Birds was not up to Microsoft. Thats all about Angry Birds’ developers and they specifically said that they didn’t want to wast their precious time and resources on a platform that had no market. As such I have no time nor money to devote to Angry Birds when it does become available

  • Morgan Wisbey

    I just hope Nokia is cooking up something hot on the high end range. I don’t miss my iPhone but I do miss the high quality look and feel of the device. I like my Focus but it loses points for the plastic look and feel.

  • Morgan Wisbey

    I just hope Nokia is cooking up something hot on the high end range. I don’t miss my iPhone but I do miss the high quality look and feel of the device. I like my Focus but it loses points for the plastic look and feel.

  • http://twitter.com/mcakins McAkins Online

    Well, we WP7 fans are now niche, and people as still on contract, so perfect storm is brewing next year, is it called Mango and Nokia!

  • Anonymous

    Just because idiot analysts lump Windows Mobile and Windows Phone in together doesn’t mean their stories have to be picked up. We know that Windows Mobile is falling and Windows Phone is rising but we have no idea by how much when they are lumped together.

    • Guest

      Doesn’t help that pro-Microsoft reporters don’t seem to be as smart about protecting the brand as Apple reporters. Typically pro-Google reports are littered with logical fallacies, but some do get it right some times (keep in mind it’s much more difficult to understand Google’s disgusting practises due to the clever hidden nature of them).

  • Wtf808

    I’m all for defending MS, but seriously… need more phones.

  • BI1000

    http://www.sciant.net/
    everybody take a look at this concept phone for WP and NOkia, I kinda like it.

    • Manish

      These are simply artist imagination. Would be really fantastic if converted in to reality

  • Manish

    But the rate of loosing market share is speedily decreasing. Just read
    “Comscore: Windows Phone US installed base losses continue to slow” at http://wmpoweruser.com/comscore-windows-phone-us-installed-base-losses-continue-to-slow/

  • Manish

    Just read another story ”
    WP7 to overtake Android by 2015?
    ” at
    http://www.wpcentral.com/wp7-overtake-android-2015

  • GP007

    I think in June or July their share will go up because when you look at it the loss is slowing down and should be flat for May I’d say.

    • Guest

      I’d give you the commentor of the week award!

    • Tom

      No help from Verizon, though. Some help from Sprint.

  • Larry

    Verizon and Sprint will be selling volume WP7 devices in the second half of the year and AT&T has another model coming out ASAP. And remember, these figures are market share. Likely there are more windows phones in use than a year ago. The smart phone market has grown so rapidly that Microsoft has a smaller percentage of the total. That will change.

  • Guest

    When Apple transitioned to OS X from OS 9, OS 9 was still selling, likewise, that’s what’s happening with WP & WM. Eventually WP will sell more because of a number of factors (one I just mentioned) and it will go up.

    Come on where are the Microsoft shills, there’s so many Apple and Google shills out there. One person can’t do all the work making people not be idiots “OMG WM7 is failing because of drop in market sahre!!1!!1z”. Obviously the answer to that is “This is expected when you lump WinMo with WinPho. One is dying rapidly, the other growing. ” Go out and spread this stuff.

  • Guest
  • Anonymous

    I think the actual problem is lack of new devices and also global distribution but it will getting better IMO this is just only in the first state we need to be patient.

  • http://twitter.com/UgglyUI UgglyUI

    Wp7 is FAIL = KIN