After a long stretch of disappointments, shipments of Windows Phone-based devices significantly increased in Q4’11, mostly due to Nokia’s aggressive push into the space with its Lumia line of smartphones.
Despite mostly positive reviews and a steady increase in the number (and quality) of apps available for the platform, Windows Phone has performed poorly in the marketplace. We have posted a number of stories right in this space dealing with Windows Phone’s lackluster performance and what steps we thought Microsoft should take to get Windows Phone on track, none of them more cynical than one titled, “Analysts Claim Windows Phone Will Outsell iOS By 2015”. In that post we talk about a claim made by analysts at iSuppli that said Microsoft and Nokia’s strategic partnership would result in huge sales increases, which would ultimately result in Windows Phone overtaking iOS by 2015. Just typing that sentence again still makes us raise an eyebrow. The latest news to come out of Strategy Analytics, however, seems to lend some credence to iSuppli’s bold prediction.According to recent data, Strategy Analytics claims that—in a single quarter—Nokia has become the largest Microsoft Smartphone vendor in the world, surpassing companies like HTC and Samsung in the process. In Q3’11, Nokia’s Windows Phone global marketshare was 0.0%. By the end of Q4’11, however, Nokia’s global marketshare in the space surged to over 33%.
Chart Source: Strategy Analytics
The numbers put forth but the Strategy Analytics report also show a 36% increase in Windows Phone shipments. Total shipments remained under 3M units, however, which is still a small fraction of the number of Android and iOS-based devices shipped. Still, the news is good for Microsoft and Nokia.Neil Mawston, Executive Director at Strategy Analytics said, “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 Nokia’s growth. 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.”
The Lumia 900 (above) is Nokia’s flagship Windows Phone
We’d have to agree with that statement. Nokia and Microsoft still have a long way to go, but the two companies seem to have laid a solid foundation on which to build. With consistent advancements on both the hardware and software fronts, intelligent marketing, and the launch of Windows 8 looming, a major shakeup in the smartphone and adjacent mobile markets could be afoot.
