Microsoft may have gotten off to a slow, bumpy start in mobile, but the Windows mobile platform may finally be sparking a seismic shift in smartphone ownership.
According to freshly published data from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech USA’s consumer panel, while the smartphone sales market has remained relatively stable to date this year as compared to last, increases in share of sales for iOS (up 2.3 percentage points) and Windows (an increase of 1.8 percentage points) “have seen these platforms growing slightly faster than Android (up 1.4 percentage points), year on year.”
Windows has begun to capture consumers from across the competitor set. Of those who purchased a Windows device in the last year, 42% came from a featurephone device, 25% from another Windows device and 23% from Android. While iOS is similarly effective at capturing Android users and their own users, only 31% came from a featurephone device, showcasing Windows strength in attracting featurephone users.
“But it’s not just about capturing the market that is yet to upgrade,” explains Kantar Worldpanel ComTech analyst Mary-Ann Parlato. “Windows is also seeing success in the younger group. When looking at those who changed device, between 2011 and 2012 Windows was more successful at capturing older consumers aged 50-64. But when looking at those changing now and in the last year, we’re seeing Windows now gaining share among those aged 25-34.”
