14 DAY TRIAL // Windows Phone, Microsoft’s mobile operating system, is lagging far behind rivals Android and iOS, but the Redmond-based giant appears more than optimistic about it.
In fact, the company unveiled on Monday record sales of Windows Phone devices for the holiday season, confirming that things are actually better than they look.
According to Microsoft, its mobile OS has managed to overtake Apple’s iOS in no less than 14 markets around the world, including India, Mexico, Italy, Chile, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Poland, South Africa, Ukraine, Hungary, Finland, Czech Republic, and Greece, Neowin reports.
At the same time, the company claims that Windows Phone devices are outselling the iPhone in 24 markets worldwide, including Colombia, Egypt, Ecuador, Kenya, Kuwait, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Saudi Arabia, and th United Arab Emirates, in addition to the above-mentioned countries.
Back in March 2013, Windows Phone was the second platform in only 7 markets globally, and the new numbers show a significant growth in sales. However, given that these are emerging markets, the fact that Apple’s iPhone is priced higher greatly influenced users’ choice.
“We’ve seen record sales of Windows Phone this holiday worldwide, nearly doubling phone sales during Christmas week (YOY),” a Microsoft spokesperson told Neowin.
“In the third quarter this year, according to IDC, Windows Phone reinforced its position as a top three smartphone operating system and was the fastest-growing platform among the leading operating systems with 156% year-over-year gain.”
“Windows Phone is the #2 smartphone operating system in 14 markets, and shipped more units than iPhone in 24 markets in Q3,” said spokesperson continued.
The number of handsets running under Windows Phone is also expanding. At the moment, users can choose from a nice range of high-end smartphones, such as Lumia 928 / 1020 / 1520, as well as from appealing entry-level handsets, including Lumia 520 / 625 / 1320, with more to come.