For the months of June, July, and August of this year, Kantar Worldpanel reports that Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform has seen growth in sales shares across various European countries. In fact, Windows Phone posted its highest ever sales share of 9.2% across the five major European markets.
While Android remains the top dog in Europe with a 70.1% market share, Windows Phone and iOS are both growing fast. In fact, Windows Phone is right behind iOS by one percentage point in Germany. In France and Great Britain, Windows Phone has hit double digit sales figures with 10.8% and 12% respectively.
“Windows Phone’s latest wave of growth is being driven by Nokia’s expansion into the low and mid range market with the Lumia 520 and 620 handsets. These models are hitting the sweet spot with 16 to 24 year-olds and 35 to 49 year-olds, two key groups that look for a balance of price and functionality in their smartphone,” Kantar’s Dominic Sunnebo stated.
Android may be number one, but once you hit the top of the ladder, its a little harder to keep climbing. “After years of increasing market share, Android has now reached a point where significant growth in developed markets is becoming harder to find. Android’s growth has been spearheaded by Samsung, but the manufacturer is now seeing its share of sales across the major European economies dip year on year as a sustained comeback from Sony, Nokia and LG begins to broaden the competitive landscape,” Sunnebo added.
It is great to see some positive news about Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform. We are still expecting the GDR3 update for Windows Phone 8, which adds support for large screen devices and 1080p, along with other new features.
