Windows Phone overtook BlackBerry in smartphone shipments in the first quarter of 2013, but Google and Apple are still on top.
This is according to a report from the International Data Corporation (IDC), which found that Windows Phone shipments climbed from three million in the first quarter of 2012, to seven million in the first quarter of this year.
While Microsoft's mobile operating system only accounted for 3.2% of global smartphone shipments in the first quarter, this amounts to a 133.3% year-on-year increase in market share for the brand. The jump gave Microsoft a 0.3% lead over rival BlackBerry, knocking the Canadian manufacturer out of the top three.
"Windows Phone claiming the third spot is a first and helps validate the direction taken by Microsoft and key partner, Nokia," says Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. He notes that the marginal gains mean those in the Windows Phone camp need to realise further gains should they wish to seriously compete as an alterative to Android or iOS.
BlackBerry's dismal performance continued as shipments dropped over 35%, to 2.9% of global shipments. BlackBerry shipped 6.3 million handsets in the first quarter of 2013, down from 9.7 million the previous year. Restivo attributes the loss of momentum to the transition the brand is currently undertaking, as it moves to its new BlackBerry 10 OS. However, he is confident BlackBerry's new hardware and BB10 software will boost sales going forward.
"Windows Phone is clearly gaining momentum," Restivo said in an interview with AllThingsD. "But BlackBerry's decline this quarter really has more to do with the lag between sales of its old handsets and its new ones than anything else. Sure, Windows Phone is ahead now, but there's no guarantee it will maintain its third-place ranking in upcoming quarters."
Google, Apple dominant
According to the IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, Google and Apple's duopoly continues. Together, the companies shipped 199.5 million units across the globe, an increase of 59% from the same period last year.
Unsurprisingly, Google is still streets ahead of the pack in the smartphone operating system market. Aided by its surplus of hardware partners, the Android operating system represented 75% of all shipments in the first quarter, 41% of which were Samsung handsets. This amounts to a 79.5% year-on-year increase in shipments.
Apple's iOS enjoyed less dramatic growth, increasing its year-on-year shipments by 6.6%. Although it is still cemented in the number two spot, Apple's market share slid to 17.3% in the first quarter, from 23.0% in 2012. According to the IDC, although demand for Apple handsets remains strong, the iOS experience has not enjoyed any significant changes since the first iPhone debuted in 2007. If rumours are to be believed, iOS users could see a massive overhaul of the user interface when iOS 7 is unveiled later this year.
"Underpinning the worldwide smartphone market is the constantly shifting operating system landscape," said Ramon Llamas, research manager with IDC's Mobile Phone team. "Android and iOS accounted for more than the lion's share of smartphones in the first quarter, but a closer examination of the other platforms reveals turnaround and demand for alternatives."
The Linuxand Symbian operating systems also featured in the IDC report; both experienced double-digit, year-on-year declines.
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