The latest tracking stats for Windows Phone have been released by advertising network AdDuplex, which monitors usage across its network to create a detailed monthly breakdown of Microsoft"s mobile ecosystem. The reports capture a snapshot of worldwide usage across one 24-hour period - in this case, October 25.
And just as in September, one of the biggest takeaways from this month"s report is that Windows 10 Mobile continues to grow, despite not having been officially released yet.
The new OS currently remains available only as a public preview release, but there"s clearly an appetite for it, as 5.7% of Windows handsets are now running that version - up from 4.7% last month (and 3.3% in August). That figure also means that Windows 10 Mobile has overtaken the obsolete Windows Phone 7.x, pushing it into last place in terms of usage in Microsoft"s mobile ecosystem.
But while Microsoft has been doing its best to expand the platform, adding dozens of new hardware partners over the last two years, its efforts still don"t seem to be paying off. Indeed, its own share of the platform has increased again (albeit very slightly) - up from 96.89% last month, to 97.07% this month.
Focusing specifically on the United States, the 18-month-old Lumia 635 has extended its lead as the most popular Windows Phone, with 31.6% platform share (up from 30.9% in September). The impressive Lumia 640 is still proving popular, strengthening its second-place position in the US this month - up from 11.2% to 12.3% - but there was an unexpected change elsewhere in the top 10, as the flagship HTC One M8 for Windows nudged out the older Lumia 1520.
It"s also worth highlighting this slide, which breaks down usage of Microsoft/Nokia Lumia devices, showing the proportions of entry-level, mid-range and flagship-class devices in use across key markets.
Worldwide, almost three-quarters of handsets are low-end - and whether in a developing market like India, or more mature tech markets like the US and the "EU5" (the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain), the proportion of low-end Windows Phones is roughly the same.
But the balance between mid-range and high-end devices varies a little more between these various markets. In India, just 3-4% of Windows Phones are flagships, while in the US and EU5, this figure is closer to 20%.
AdDuplex will publish its full monthly report tomorrow on its website.