There is no denying the rocky road that Microsoft’s mobile operating system has traveled. Windows Phone has certainly experienced its share of ups and downs, as all things do. But the mobile marketplace is a tough world, and it has a dominant player that won’t be going away anytime soon. Android occupies a comfortable portion of the market, which comes as little surprise.
In fact. the Google OS has grown, raking in almost 70-percent share in Europe. That sounds imposing, and in fact, it is. It’s downright dominant, to be honest. But Microsoft hasn’t lost all hope, and has good news to glean from this seemingly abysmal report.
Kantar reports that the OS was “fastest growing European OS, with 10.1-percent share”. The difference is stunning, but not unexpected, and the news not entirely bad, though it needs to be taken in aggregate to feel a bit better — the gap is bad, but the gain is good.
Not surprisingly Samsung is leading the charge from smartphone makers. The handset maker garnered almost a 40-percent share, far surpassing nearest rival Sony, and dwarfing that of LG and Motorola.
Meanwhile, Windows Phone clings to relevance, as Kantar states “despite underwhelming fourth quarter results, Windows Phone has managed to hold onto double digit share across Europe for four consecutive months. Its success continues to be driven by Nokia’s budget Lumia 520 which was the fourth highest selling handset in Britain during the past three months, only just behind the Apple 5C”.
The news is….well…good…maybe? OK, it’s decent, not great, Still, it is a step forward and, let’s be honest, Android is a tough beast to slay. This won’t be an easy battle, certainly it’s uphill, but momentum is a strong indicator.
