Tech Mania

Windows phone 7 may occupy 3rd place market share of 17% by 2016

Posted: 31 Mar 2011 12:30 AM PDT

Market research analysts Ovum published a report claiming that the smartphone market will double in size by 2016. "Android will drive the growth and will emerge as the dominant platform, dramatically outperforming Apple with a massive 20.5 per cent lead on market share," says the independent telecoms analyst.

Ovum predicts Apple's iOS will only account for 17.5% in 2016. "We will see dramatic shifts in dominance for smartphone software platforms," says Ovum, allowing Microsoft to take third position. "Just behind Apple iOS will be Windows Phone, with 17.2% market share by 2016, followed by BlackBerry OS, with 16.5%. Ovum principal analyst Adam Leach claims that the partnership between Nokia and Microsoft "has redrawn the smartphone market."

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The deal will result in a significant reduction of Symbian-based handsets. "For Microsoft the deal provides a committed handset partner that has the potential to make Windows Phone a mainstream smartphone platform. The risk to Microsoft is that other handset makers may choose not to compete with Nokia and may turn their backs on Windows Phone."

Nokia said recently that it plans to ship Windows Phone branded devices to developers when they are available later this year. Nokia is currently engineering Windows Phone devices and is expected to wait for "Mango", the next version of Windows Phone, until it unveils them later this year. "Mango", the codename for what will likely be named Windows Phone 7.5, is currently in the early beta stages at Microsoft.Nokia is reportedly waiting for multitasking, IE9 mobile and others before it releases its first Windows Phone device.

Windows phone 7 may occupy 3rd place market share of 17% by 2016 is a post from: Tech Mania