Windows Phone has struggled to gain a meaningful slice of the mobile pie since the introduction of Windows Phone 7. Since the release of Windows Phone 8, however, Microsoft has seen some gains which lead the company to an overtaking of Blackberry in overall smartphone market-share ownership. It may feel like sloppy seconds, or thirds in this case, but Microsoft will take whatever is available since many developers and OEM partners have been hesitant to release WP content and devices.
According to a recent report released by comScore, Windows Phone saw a .3% increase in smartphone subscribers within the United States between April and July of 2014. In the same report, Apple pulled a 1% jump in the US while Android saw a decline of 1% in the same market. The increase in its home territory is important for Microsoft and came in a near-dry period for handsets during that period. The release of the Lumia 530 and 630/635 handsets could be contributing to the growth as those handsets are fantastic for the prices they’re available for.
The growth for Apple is also impressive given the expected announcement of the iPhone 6 and potentially other devices coming on September 9 at an Apple-hosted event - a lead-up period where users tend to hold off buying a new device until the new handsets are revealed and go on sale. The numbers could go up for Microsoft for the last half of 2014 with newer handsets being available. The HTC One M8 offers high-end performance in an attractive package despite its lesser camera performance compared to Lumia products. There’s also the new affordable Lumia 730 and 830 variants to consider, offering flagship-worthy performance and features at lower costs. What do you think the second half of 2014 has in store for Windows Phone? Can Microsoft pull more meaningful growth in its home turf?
Via: GeekWire | Image: GeekWire
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