Android & iOS Lead, While Windows Phone Follows

It’s been three years since Microsoft launched Windows Phone as a successor to Windows Mobile. Unlike Windows Mobile, Windows Phone is more consumer focused but does not leave business users behind. After one year of launch, in 2011, Microsoft and Nokia announced their partnership. Nokia also disclosed that how they plan to shift from Symbian to Windows Phone as the primary OS.

Windows Phone has been trying to gain the lost market since its launch. Nokia & HTC have been the two main producers of the Windows Phone devices, while Samsung & Huawei also do produce Windows Phone devices. Nokia partnership has been the best thing that happened to Windows Phone. Nokia Lumia lineup attracted a lot of consumers to Windows Phone due to the distinctive design & experience they provided.

Now, three years later IDC have released there data according to which Windows Phone has officially overthrown Blackberry and is the world’s third most used smartphone OS. Android & iOS combined make 92.3% of the smartphone shipments, which is just remarkable. Here is what the Research Manager with the IDC mobile team, Ramon Llamas had to say:

Windows Phone claiming the third spot is a first and helps validate the direction taken by Microsoft and key partner Nokia,” said Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. “Given the relatively low volume generated, the Windows Phone camp will need to show further gains to solidify its status as an alternative to Android or iOS.

Here is a table that compares the 2013 Q1 shipments of different smartphone OS.