Latest Comscore numbers show further US WP7+ WM market share drop

December 30, 2011 | By Surur

Microsoft	Dec-10	Jan-11	Feb-11	Mar-11	Apr-11	May-11	June-11	July-11	Aug-11	Sept-11	Oct-11	Nov-11
US installed base	8.4	8	7.7	7.5	6.7	5.8	5.8	5.7	5.7	5.6	5.4	5.2
Percent loss	0.6	0.4	0.3	0.2	0.8	0.9	0	0.1	0	0.1	0.2	0.2

Comscore has released their latest US market share numbers, and while it shows the US market grew to 91.6 million smartphone users, the number of users running a Microsoft mobile OS has dropped, not just in market share, but also absolute numbers.

Now only 4.75 million users run Windows Mobile or Windows Phone, down from 4.89 million in September. That is 14,000 less users that September, and likely shows the influence of the launch of the iPhone 4S.

With the low US Windows Phone market share the Comscore numbers will likely continue to fall for some time before we see a turn around.

See the full report here.

About Surur

Site Admin and Windows Phone enthusiast, he has been using Windows Mobile devices since before they were called PocketPC’s. He is currently sporting a HTC 7 Trophy.

Tagged comscore, market share, US, windows phone 7.5

http://profiles.google.com/frankguillenjr Frank Guillen Jr.

Well, hopefully Apollo can change that, because it seems Mango is not doing it. Although I am a happy and proud owner of one.

http://wp7crap.myopenid.com/ GetReal

That will be Q4 of NEXT year?? By then, I don’t even know will WP be around anymore, looking at how things are progressing.

Anonymous

its one thing being realistic and another being overly pessimistic. it doesn’t help anyone especially if that is the idea you’re spreading to potential buyers.

http://twitter.com/Miloonwater Miloonwater

Wp7 is DEAD

Anonymous

I think you’re missing the October 2011 numbers (October 2011 was a 5.4% share for a 0.2% drop from September according to comScore). The numbers you have labeled as October 2011 are actually November 2011. Drop from October to November was thus 0.2% (same as September to October drop).
http://www.facebook.com/erikpienk Erik Pienknagura

OMG!, stop with the same data, ive seen this numbers so much its even annoying.
most of the 2nd gen WP got in november and December good sales so, unless u show me Dic-11 and Jan-11 i wont care at all…..
Anonymous

Really this is after Blackfriday numbers to hmm.
Anonymous

I don’t see the point in having Windows Mobile and Windows Phone numbers bundled together, the figures are pretty much useless.

Anonymous

So they can continue to say that Windows Phone market share is dropping. That’s the only reason to include a non-existent OS that’s no longer developed, sold, or supported.

Anonymous

this doesn’t bode well. Even comparing October to November, I expected the share % to flatline. Although a 0.2% drop is bad, I’m still holding out hope for better results in December, but this is going to be rough.
Anonymous

I expect slight growth starting next year. I dont know whats wrong here how is Android beating Mango when it comes to low end handsets. Microsoft needs to change their add direction maybe market Mango phones such as the Focus Flash and Lumia 710 rather than the high end handsets. Maybe they need a dedicated stand at a local AT&T to show everything off. Also I noticed that Windows phones are always in the mix with Android not good.

http://wp7crap.myopenid.com/ GetReal

Maybe because consumers are not dumb? WP is looking nice, but when comes to real usage, Android is far more superior than WP. Having an integrated People Hub is not a bad idea, but when compared to the usage of individual apps, the hubs are not as powerful as standalone apps, ie. the Facebook official app?

Anonymous

Gonna have to disagree here. The majority of “Consumers” have not an inkling of what Android is fully capable of. They don’t know dual core from Peace Corps. They don’t know a gigahertz from from Gidget.

Most consumers purchase Android because it’s the only other thing they’ve heard of aside from iphone. MS has said they want to let the OEMs and Carriers advertise WP and distinguish themselves. Well, that may be a regressive mistake on their parts. If no one knows of your product, I don’t care if it’s the best damn product on the market, it won’t sell.

That being said, these numbers are old. I suspect and expect that these numbers are/will be higher when inlcluding December and soon to be January.
Anonymous

Real usage as in what i am sure a WP can do just as much as an Android when it comes to general usage. You can do so much with the phone without relying on 3rd party apps. Of course the integration doesn’t replace the app but atleast it covers the basics. True power users will prefer Android and IMO the general public will like WP more thats why I am kinda dissapointed with the marketshare. MS needs to make it clear that WP is designed for simplicity, communication and integration plus media (zune/xbox). If I need full access to something its done on a laptop not on a small 3.7 inch screen.
rsgx

You mean when it comes to overly techy usage.

When it comes to using the simple features of a smartphone out the box, WP7 excels at that.

Endeavour 1934

Read this and the comments. This is what WP7 needs, what people on other platforms want in order to switch. http://gizmodo.com/5871602/what-are-the-windows-superphones-coming-late-2012

Anonymous

This is what gadget lovers want but what about the general public? IMO to get the general public to move over MS needs to price their flagship product 50 – 100$ less than Apple, they need to release it earlier and it needs to be feature heavy (Apollo). Windows + Superphones would just consfuse the general public they will be like “oh i will get an iphone I dont need a super phone I want something simple”. What WP needs is a bigger ecosystem which I think is coming next year. Lumia touchscreen devicies, tablets and keyboard devices plus a wide range of products from low – mid – superphone. Nokia is on track with operation rolling thunder. I already have plans to buy the first Nokia Apollo phone plus Tablet cant wait.

rsgx

<——- This guy is not surprised.

Insanity is doing the same thing over-and-over and expecting a different result.

If MS doesn't step-up its game across the board, it's going to look like this for a while still.

http://twitter.com/TheeBladeOGrass Michael Pendergraft

Agreed! MSFT has nobody to blame but themselves. Even my wife, who could give two flips about tech gadgets, noticed how many Android and iPhone commercials she saw over the holidays. Then admitted that she couldn’t recall one Windows Phone commercial. How are they planning to get customers when they won’t even flood the airwaves during the Christmas holidays, the one time we assume every company will?!

Scott Lock

There are a ton of WP7 commercials airing now. The one with the guy trying on clothes and the wife makes him try on the “girly” outfit. The one with the two guys joking about the pics they had on each other and were sharing live to Facebook. The one with the girl and the picture mural on the wall of the bridge, all taken with the HTC Radar. The only android commercial showing at all these days is the Razor. Samsung has the great “anti IPhone” commercials, but they hardly scream Android, rather Samsung.
rsgx

MS needs to do a hard push in its home-territory – the US.

I think they’re waiting for the Nokia launch, but still – the other OEMs are bring nothing overly special that sets them apart from their Android handsets.

Ultimately, new users don’t look at the smartphone OS as much as they do the hardware and its reputation.

Anonymous

Honestly until Verizon decides to add some new WP devices, the numbers in the US will continue to stink. Microsoft should offer Verizon whatever they demand to get them to add some devices.
Anonymous

All
does not seem well in the house in Redmond.

With
these figures, recent changes in management and negative talk on the
web I am beginning to worry that time is running out for the WP
eco-system to gain traction.

I
hope that the roll out of higher tier models, April 2012, will change
things around before Android ICS or iPhone 5 hits the street big
time.

Anonymous

Why in the hell did you type your comment like that?

And since the Nokia launch hasn’t started in USA I’m not surprised with these numbers. The Lumia 800 sold incredible well for a WP in Europe.

Anonymous

Actually we can’t really be sure about Europe yet – several analysts have independently looked and said that it hasn’t done well. Nokia and phone dealers say they are happy but give no numbers while Redmond reshuffles the team.

Even without Nokia in the US there was hope that Mango would start to turn things around.

Anonymous

You know what without Mango sales would of dropped 2 percent seriouslly

Anonymous

Actually, given the numbers, it would appear (so far at least) that Mango hasn’t mattered at all.

Anonymous

No, we can be pretty sure about Europe.These “analysts” said it did bad compared to say, the launch of the iPhone which sells 1million+ units. If you’re not going to take the time to research your arguments why even try at all?

Anonymous

I researched plenty, those analysts put some numbers in their estimates and if they are correct the Lumia is not having a big impact. Nokia is trying to replace a big (but dying) smartphone platform – they will need iPhone numbers
Anonymous

You cant get iphone numbers right away as long as the interest is growing its going to be good in the long run. Dont forget Lumia is a brand new product.
Anonymous

I never said anything about getting iPhone numbers right away, just that they will need to get them. But the numbers so far indicate they aren’t getting much of anything.

Anonymous

You anticipated that wPhone sales might not go well until Nokia phones were re-introduced in the US?

Couldn’t you have typed you post differently than to suggest that? (o;)

Anonymous

If ComScore is confident enough to put out numbers less than a percentage point, then they should be able to figure out the difference between WP7 and WM.

Anonymous

WP7 and WM who cares at this point. Windows phone is dead.

Anonymous

Im sure the guys at Microsoft don’t expect big marketshare increases and they have plans to solve this. In my opinion 2012 should be treated like a new console launch everything is fair game iOS6 vs Apollo vs Android all at 0% marketshare. This is what Microsoft should take the lead and annouce Apollo and device release date first. If they can match iOS6 feature set with good affordable handsets and superphones priced cheaper than the iPhone 6 then MS can take the lead in 2012 (in terms of new handsets) and if they keep doing that they can slowly pry away the Android marketshare and catch up.

For the RIM siutation it would be best for RIM to join Microsoft. Microsoft will give them millions of dollars in advertising plus developer support similar to what they are doing with Nokia. With RIM marketing their new handsets running Apollo OS it could boost WP marketshare.

Or Microsoft should buy RIM software and Nokia could buy RIM hardware and release two different phone lines. Nokia Lumia (touch screen phones) Nokia Blackberry (keyboard style phones) to the market. Lumia Apollo phones launch in June, Blackberry in November that can really up the sales.

WP7.5 is like a little prologe it is what it is a transition period between Windows 7 and Windows 8.

Anonymous

Microsoft was in fact aiming (hoping?) for big things in 2012 (100 million handsets):

http://wmpoweruser.com/microsofts-internal-goal-is-to-sell-about-100-million-windows-phones-in-2012/

WP7.5 was clearly meant as more than a prologue.

Anonymous

WP7.5 and Xbox dashboard is a small introduction of things to come. Windows 8 is the real deal. The good thing about Mango is that it got ALOT of attention as long as MS releases first they should do just fine.

Anonymous

At this point there is little evidence to suggest it got any meaningful attention at all. The big problem now is that the media attention is “Why has WP7 failed to get customers” – if this sticks it will be hard (very hard) to break out of single digits.

Anonymous

They were hoping for as many as 17 (up to 30) million phones in 2011. Did they reach 5?

How will the 9 handset makers be able to ramp up supply lines to make 20 times more phones this year?

Jimbo

Prediction for 2012, 2013 and beyond for Windows Phone: I think Microsoft will eventually realize that the only way to move the needle forward for their mobile OS hopes is to fully take control of the hardware manufacturing and marketing, maybe by buying out either Nokia, RIM or both, maybe even a carrier like T-Mobile, and emulate Apple’s model.

The current strategy doesn’t seem to be working out for them, as neither the carriers or the manufacturers seem willing to commit major resources behind the platform.
Anonymous

As a long suffering shareholder and wp user I suggest the following. Embrace the android os, walk away from win, not the right os unless a desk or lap top. Buy nokia. Hook up with sprint as a carrier, they offer the best tech connection, imho. Oh, and clean out the board and corner offices.