Windows Mobile Losing Market Share

[Nurhisham Hussein]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/17/comscore-iphone-overtakes-windows-mobile-use-for-the-first-time/' target='_blank'>http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/17/...the-first-time/</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"If our kindergarten skills haven't failed us, then this data shows iPhone usage surpassing the once mighty Windows Mobile OS for the very first time. Unfortunately for Microsoft, Google's Android OS is set to accelerate significantly by the time the February 2010 data rolls in as is WebOS just as soon as Palm can bring its fledgling OS to Verizon's subscriber base."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/wpt/auto/1261162565.usr14226.jpg" style="border: 0px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p>Well, it was on the cards and had to happen sooner or later - Windows Mobile is now third in terms of actual handsets in consumer hands in the US, with just 7.1 million units compared to Apple's 8.9 million and RIM's 14.9 million. I'll forbear to comment on the obvious implications for Microsoft. Read the original FierceDeveloper scoop <a href="http://www.fiercedeveloper.com/pages/what-were-top-smartphone-operating-systems-october" target="_blank">here</a> and the press release from comScore <a href="http://www.comscore.com/Press_Events/Press_Releases/2009/12/Android_Crashing_the_Smartphone_Party" target="_blank">here</a> (incidentally, comScore's actual tagline focused more on Android's gains rather than Apple's). The real kickers are some of the supplementary survey questions that were published in the press release - out of the thirteen specifically mentioned handsets most users were planning to purchase, only one was a Windows Mobile device (AT&amp;T Tilt), at just 2% of respondents. The media consumption results are also pretty damning. Where, oh where, is WM7?</p>

[Fritzly]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/17/comscore-iphone-overtakes-windows-mobile-use-for-the-first-time/' target='_blank'>http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/17/...the-first-time/</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"Where, oh where, is WM7?</p>

It seems to me that more than "Where, oh where, is WM7?" the million $ question should be "What, oh what, is WM7?"

So far I heard and read only speculations; the only comment I read from MS about WM7 was about some tighter integration of the OS with the so called "Social networks"..... it looks scaring more than reassuring, at least for me.

[Bob Anderson]

While I certainly don't want to see MSFT rest on its laurels, it looks as if their market share is steady ... which certainly is better than declining. This might give them a little breathing room while they work their magic on Win 7. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

(BTW - I just purchased 2 Windows Phone 6.5 devices, one for me and one for a gift, and we like them A LOT.)

[whydidnt]

While I certainly don't want to see MSFT rest on its laurels, it looks as if their market share is steady ... which certainly is better than declining.

Actually since the market itself is growing, but sales of Windows Phones are stable, Mircrosoft's market share is declining. They are not selling their product as fast as the market is growing. For any business this is usually troubling, since it means competitors are doing a better job, either in delivering a product that their customers want, marketing or both.

I'm not holding my breath in hope that WM7 turns things around. I'm really starting to think that Microsoft doesn't get it at a corporate level. They seem more concerned about protecting turf and appeasing carriers than in delivering a great mobile phone experience.

[Bob Anderson]

Actually since the market itself is growing, but sales of Windows Phones are stable, Mircrosoft's market share is declining.

MY BAD... you are right, market share is shrinking... but user base is staying about the same. What I find interesting is the growth in RIM. Those phones are horrid! I can fully understand Apple's growth, but to see RIM outpace the iPhone seems crazy to me.

I'm going to pass final judgment when WinPhone 7 arrives: Microsoft doesn't stay in a market to just keep losing share. My hunch is that they are investing a lot of money and are going to come out swinging with a viable product. The giant may have been a bit lazy - but once awoken it is going to be an entirely different ballgame now. (Or so I hope!)

[Kirkaiya]

Actually since the market itself is growing, but sales of Windows Phones are stable, Mircrosoft's market share is declining. They are not selling their product as fast as the market is growing. For any business this is usually troubling, since it means competitors are doing a better job, either in delivering a product that their customers want, marketing or both.

I'm not holding my breath in hope that WM7 turns things around. I'm really starting to think that Microsoft doesn't get it at a corporate level. They seem more concerned about protecting turf and appeasing carriers than in delivering a great mobile phone experience.

It's even worse than that - if you look at the chart, it's showing the total number of users, not new sales. So the total number of people using Windows Mobile.. er.. Windows Phone.. is staying roughly steady, meaning that they're only selling enough phones to cover losses due to people switching away, or phones becoming obsolete/lost/broken, etc.

So the market is growing; iPhone, Android, and RIM are increasing marketshare by increasing sales (which has led to a rapid increase in the total number of users), while Microsoft's "constant" total number of users means their sales must be abysmal.

Unrelated point - look at Android for a second. A year ago there were effectively zero users. Between February and October they doubled the number of users. Doubled. In eight months. If Google pulls that off again between October and June 2010, there will be over 2 million Android sets by next summer (and with the much much better hardware now, I think they might beat that actually).

I'm still using my Touch Diamond (WM 6.1), but my next phone will likely be either a Nexus One, SE Experia X10, or another Android device (not till my Diamond is 2 years old, though, next June).

[doogald]

Unrelated point - look at Android for a second. A year ago there were effectively zero users. Between February and October they doubled the number of users. Doubled. In eight months. If Google pulls that off again between October and June 2010, there will be over 2 million Android sets by next summer (and with the much much better hardware now, I think they might beat that actually).


I'll be one of those. I just traded my WM phone for a Droid Eris a couple of weeks ago.