Home » News » Windows Phone OS to become 'number two player' by 2015
Monday 23rd January 2012
Windows Phone could usurp Apple's iOS as the second most common operating system by 2015 because of its
relationship with Nokia, a new report has claimed.Researcher IHS has claimed that Android will remain the world's
most common operating system during the next three years. IHS said Android had a 47.4% share last year,
followed by iOS at 18.0% and Windows Phone at 1.9%. However, by 2015 IHS predicts Android will sit on a
58.1% share, followed by Windows Phone at 16.7% and iOS in third at 16.6%.
The researchers said this would be largely due to the strong support for the operating system by Nokia.
The Finnish manufacturer launched its Lumia 800 device last year, with the Lumia 710 set to hit the UK next month.
IHS senior analyst for wireless communications Wayne Lam said: 'One of the hottest new products unveiled at the
Consumer Electronics Show was the Lumia 900, a Windows Phone-based smartphone sporting a flashy set of features
that makes it competitive with the best alternatives offered by the Android camp.
'This hot product represents Nokia’s first step to reclaim its market share. Combined with Nokia’s efforts to
drive the development of the Windows Phone ecosystem, the Lumia 900 and its successors will help Microsoft to
reclaim its No. 2 ranking in smartphone operating system market share in 2015.'
IHS said Nokia's focus on pushing handset sales of the Lumia 900 in the US would help it claw back market share.
It also predicted Nokia would dominate the market for Windows Phone smartphones, accounting for half of all sales
of the Microsoft O-based handsets sold this year. It claimed its share of Windows Phone devices would hit a high
of 62% next year before starting to decline in 2014, as more manufacturers enter that part of the market.
Lam added: 'Because of Nokia’s support, apps developers will eagerly shore up the Windows platform.
This will cause other makers of Windows Phone devices, such as Samsung and HTC, to offer more products supporting
the OS – further expanding the market.'
