As Microsoft battles to make Windows Phone a better rival for iOS and Android, it looks like Microsoft’s war is finally reaching a tipping point, at least in Brazil. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), a technology-based market research, analysis, and advisory company in the US, Windows Phone achieved great headway in Q3 2014 in Brazil and even outsold the iPhone.
According to statistics provided by IDC, Brazilians purchased a total of 15.1 million devices in the third quarter of 2014, up 11% from the second quarter of 2014, and up 49% from the third quarter of 2013. Although Microsoft’s Windows Phone succeeded in overtaking iOS to become the second most used OS in Brazil, it is still way behind Android, which continues to dominate Brazil’s OS market at a commanding 91% market share. That means Windows Phone and iOS were in contention for the remaining 9%, and this is the first time Windows Phone gained the upper hand in Q3 2014.
Although Android is still the leader in Brazil’s smartphone market, Microsoft managed to gain more market share by offering cheaper devices with pretty good hardware specifications. Cheaper devices seems to be the key in Brazil, just as Apple’s iOS devices are still being offered at high prices.
For instance, Apple’s 16GB iPhone 6 is available for about $1,200, while the closest comparable Windows Phone, the Lumia 930, is $650. The Lumia 930 is also being offered at deep discounts at the end of the year, which makes it even cheaper. Apple does not have any cheaper models available in Brazil or really anywhere, while Windows Phone has even cheaper options than the Lumia 930 in an attempt to better compete with Android and gain more control of the market.
Windows Phone also offers the Lumia 530 for $100 as well as the Lumia 630 for $130. With the new cheaper options, Windows Phone is gaining popularity in Brazil and may offer even cheaper smartphone devices to better compete with Android. More details on this as it develops.