Microsoft Actually Lost Mobile Marketshare in Q4, says New Report

We recently reported that Windows Phone 8 had overtaken Blackberry in the United States. We also reported that Windows Phone 8 handsets that used AdDuplex software outnumbered those running Windows Phone 7.

Now we are reporting that Microsoft’s mobile marketshare went downward in Q4. Talk about conflicting information.

ComScore has now released data for December 2012 for the smartphone marketshare in the United States showing that over the three month period ending in December, Microsoft’s marketshare managed to drop .07 percentage points going down to 2.9%. Meanwhile, the same report shows a 2.0% drop for Blackberry down to 6.4%– that’s not lower than Microsoft’s share (like previously reported).

The report indicates that Android saw .9% gains ending at 53.4%. iOS gained 2.0% going up to 36.3%.

Worldwide Microsoft’s marketshare continues to climb up, but this report clearly paints a confusing picture compared to what we’ve already heard. OK, so I’ll admit that the “Microsoft smartphone share” does include Windows Mobile. While it is conceivable that Windows Mobile corporate accounts and others clinging to the OS finally moved on to a newer platform like Android or iOS, that still wouldn’t account for much.

Even more disturbing, is that Microsoft business users that had Windows Mobile aren’t upgrading to Windows Phone 7 or Windows Phone 8, despite the fact that these platforms are great for business. Could lack of strong enterprise marketing for Windows Phone be part of that problem or simply just the belief that Android or iOS have more to offer?

This report certainly certainly seems like nothing but doom and gloom. I’m not worried about Windows Phone 8’s future though, in fact I’d go out on a limb and say that it is much more certain and stable that Windows RT’s future.

We continue to hear more about Windows Phone 8, and I’m seeing it for the first time out in the wild. Never hardly ever saw Windows Phone 7 handsets except in commercials or at store booths. This is changing, and that makes me all the more confused about this report that Windows Phone’s market has gone down not up.

Part of the problem could be with Windows Phone 8’s limited availability in the United States, though. Many carriers like Sprint, US Cellular and others are still without the new OS. The Nokia Lumia 920 is the most popular Windows Phone 8 handset, and its only on AT&T. I truly think that 2013 will see an increase in the marketshare as the phones become more widely avalaible.

What do you think, is ComScore’s report correct, do you think that Microsoft’s mobile efforts have actually shrunk recently? Share your thoughts below.

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