14 DAY TRIAL // It's not a secret that Windows Phone as a platform (including Windows 10 Mobile) is collapsing, and a new forecast from analyst firm IDC estimates that by 2021, the decline would continue at the same pace before Microsoft's mobile OS eventually reaches 0 percent share.
At this point, Windows Phone holds a 0.1 percent market share, which isn't really the best news for Microsoft, but it's enough to keep the platform above the floating line.
0.0 percent market share
IDC estimates that this year Microsoft would sell 1.1 million phones, a drop of 80.9 percent versus the same period the year before. Unfortunately, the platform is very unlikely to recover, as Microsoft still doesn't show any sign of revamped mobile efforts, with IDC estimating that, by 2021, Windows Phone would drop to 0.0 percent share.
"Windows Phone shipments continue to fall as the lack of new hardware partners, developer support, and overall enthusiasm for the platform show no immediate signs of recovery. IDC expects 2017 volumes to decline 80.9% to just 1.1 million units. Microsoft has yet to fully commit to any 'Surface'-style attack for smartphones or to push new vendors to embrace the platform, leaving little hope of mounting a full scaled comeback in the years to come," IDC explains.
The good news is that this forecast is based on the current status of Windows Phone, but the latest rumors indicate that Microsoft is actually working on a mobile overhaul already.
If we are to trust this speculation, Microsoft could launch an update to the operating system that would bring it closer to the PC version of Windows 10, with a new device possibly called Surface Mobile also said to be in the works.
If this is true, then IDC's forecast could no longer be accurate, as Windows Phone would obviously record a boost, though we wouldn't expect it to grow too much to become a rival to Android or iOS.