According to the latest statistics released by market research firm Gartner on Wednesday, Windows Mobile shipments hit the floor in the third quarter, plummeting 35% from the same period in 2014.
Such percentages are highly concerning, especially considering that the overall smartphone shipments at a global scale climbed an impressive 15% in Q3.
According to Gartner’s figures, the share of Windows smartphones in the total smartphone shipments across the world was roughly 1.7%. In comparison, the share of Windows smartphones in the total smartphone shipments during the 2014 third quarter was 3%. Still not much for the American tech giant, but you can see the difference.
Robby Hill, founder and CEO of HillSouth, a Florence and a S.C.-based Microsoft partner, was caught by surprise when facing those numbers, partially due to Microsoft’s recent release of its Windows 10 operating system, which contains Continuum, a feature that is designed to enable ease in switching mobile platforms.
His comment on the event reads as following:
“Microsoft has something going for it with Windows 10 and its new cross-platform capabilities. … Microsoft could run Windows mobile in the conceivable future, but we’re not sure what Microsoft is gaining from its mobile platform,”
Gartner Research Director, Roberta Cozza, from its shoes mentions:
“Despite the announcement of Windows 10, we expect Windows smartphone market share will continue to be a small portion of the overall smartphone OS market as consumers remain attracted by competing ecosystems. Microsoft smartphones will mainly focus on driving value for enterprise users.”
In both Latin America and in emerging markets, “there were strong declines,” they add. “Consumers are moving on to Android. I just don’t think that the Lumia brand is strong anymore in the mid to lower end. Microsoft’s message doesn’t resonate with price-conscious consumers.”
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That is actually true and it makes things a bit more agitating. To put it in numbers, Windows’ share of smartphone shipments dropped to 3.5% in Q3 and 5.5% in Q2. By comparison, Google’s Android surged from 89% share to 93% during the exact same time.
According to previous forecasts by Gartner, Windows phones represented 2.5% of all second-quarter shipments, meaning that, sequentially, Microsoft’s business shrank 28%.
However, at this point, it is worth noting that Microsoft – via Nokia, when it comes to the smartphone market – has been all on its own when it comes to the number of devices that run with the Windows Phone OS.
Other branches such as Samsung, Motorola, Huawei and alike are using Android as their main OS for their devices, so that leaves plenty of space for the certain operating system to dominate.
In fact, the only company that uses its own devices to match their own OS is Apple, hence we can only compare those two and even then, it wouldn’t be entirely fair, since Microsoft entered the industry through Nokia, so it had to evolve under different circumstances and taking advantage of different variables.
“One thing that would boost shipments is if Microsoft could get a high-profile OEM [original equipment manufacturer] to make the commitment to Windows 10,” said Cozza.
In a Tuesday report, communication technology firm Ericsson, said that of the Windows smartphone owners who bought a new device each month, just 19% to 20% stuck with the OS. The rest fled for Android or iOS, with the majority switching to an Android device.
