Shipments of Windows Phone up 77% for the year; solidifies global third-ranking

Windows Phones galore!

Some good news today for Windows Phone as the latest numbers, based on device shipments from before this year, have revealed a steady increase for the third identify operating system.

Co-ordinate to the IDC'southward latest numbers, Windows Phone has seen a surge of 77% yr over yr for device shipments (8.7M in 2022 versus 4.9M for 2022). With those numbers, Windows Phone has increased from 3.1% market place share to a small three.7%. While iOS and Android yet dominate with 13.2% and 79.3% market share respectively, Windows Phone maintains the largest year over year increase.

This is the second report from the IDC this year that has shown strong YoY growth for Windows Telephone and the 2d report from the IDC to claim its third identify ranking, globally. Withal, while that 77% year over twelvemonth change is impressive, it is down from the 150% yr over year growth measuring back in February. Some of that though tin can probably be attributed to a downswing in general sales of technology as the global economic system continues to stagnate.

IDC: Windows Phone is growing, just slowly

Meanwhile, BlackBerry has nevertheless not managed to end the bleeding by losing some other ii% in market share, dropping from 4.nine% last year to but 2.9% in 2022. With the release of BlackBerry 10 and three new devices, the Canadian company is yet in the early on days of a possible recovery, but conspicuously they are ceding ground to Windows Phone at this point.

Ryan Reith, Program Manager with IDC's Mobility Tracker Programs notes that Nokia is the catalyst behind the growth, which should be of no surprise. Representing 81.6% of all Windows Phone shipments in 2022 (exactly matching the numbers of AdDuplex), the Finnish company has quickly and aggressively go the dominate histrion on the platform. Reith notes:

"Nokia has clearly been the driving force behind the Windows Phone platform and we expect that to go along. However, every bit more and more vendors enter the smartphone market using the Android platform, nosotros look Windows Phone to become a more than attractive differentiator in this very competitive marketplace segment."

The question for many in the industry would exist are these numbers good plenty? In some means, no as it is evident that Windows Phone's market share is notwithstanding miles behind iOS and especially Android. On the other hand, there is a certain change in mindset here that has taken place: Windows Phone is officially the third most popular mobile operating organization in the earth, toppling BlackBerry. That's a very different psychological perspective for an Os many were calling a dud 2 years ago.

In addition, the potent year over year growth demonstrates that the momentum is with Windows Phone to proceed that upward trend. Meanwhile, the iPhone has declined year over yr, dropping from a 16.half-dozen% high in 2022 to a more than sobering 13.two% in 2022. Still, the IDC notes with iOS7 and a new device on the horizon (and rumors of a low-cost variant as well), Apple is poised to recapture some of that last market that its competitors have seized with more than frequent releases.

The bad news is even at iii.7% market place share worldwide, Windows Phone may notwithstanding non be taken seriously past vendors and developers. Many have argued of an invisible barrier that needs to be crossed earlier Windows Phone can truly exist seen equally a competitor. Some accept placed that number at 5%, others at 10%, both of them arbitrary.

Notwithstanding, at that place may be some truth in it every bit Windows Phone right at present is winning by compunction confronting BlackBerry and while this growth rate is good news, information technology will notwithstanding have to practise better in the coming months to brand a reasonable impact. Perhaps in one case the full weight of the Lumia 520's market touch is measured, we'll come across a larger increase.

Source: IDC

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