Kantar Worldpanel has published its report based on latest smartphone sales data, which reveals Windows Phone seriously challenging RIM for third place in Europe with low-end devices such as the Lumia 610 driving sales in key markets.
Low-end Windows Phone growth rates representing multiple markets within Europe have been provided by Kantar. Italy tops the charts with an increase in market share of 6.6%, while France comes in second at 3.5% and Great Britan is third with 2.3%. What's more is Microsoft now sports 10.4% marketshare in Italy with Windows Phone.
Dominic Sunnebo, global consumer insight director at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, notes the following:
"Windows [Phone] is making steady progress in the big European economies and is now challenging BlackBerry for third spot in the European OS league. With the momentum Windows 8 will bring towards the end of 2012, it seems highly likely that it will achieve this before the end of the year."
Earlier last month we took a look at Kantar data that revealed Android storming ahead with its mobile market domination, while Windows Phone continued to climb steadily. This is still the case globally, with both Android and iOS taking a combined 93% of smartphone sales in the last 12 weeks, which illustrates the mountainous climb Windows Phone (as well well as RIM) has to become truly competitive in terms of numbers.
Great Britain is continuing to increase smartphone adoption with penetration reaching 57.6% and smartphones taking 80.4% of sales in the last 12 weeks.
This is before we have Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, and tablets launching left, right and centre. Microsoft have an open door, which we hope will walk through this month onwards, through to 2013 and beyond.
HTC and carriers are beginning to throw their weight behind Microsoft and Windows Phone. Coupled with the sheer determination and drive of Nokia, it'll be an interesting 2012 wrap-up.
Source: Kantar Worldpanel
