Despite initial hiccups, more people will opt for Microsoft’s Windows based phones than Apple’s iPhone by 2015 thanks to Microsoft’s partnership with Nokia.
According to a Gartner research report, sales of Windows based phones will rise to about 216 million units during 2015; while only 190 million units of iOS based devices will be sold in that period.
However, Gartner has added that Apple’s iOS will remain the second biggest platform worldwide through 2014.
“By the end of 2011, Android will move to become the most popular operating system (OS) worldwide and will build on its strength to account for 49 per cent of the smartphone market by 2012,” Gartner said.
It has predicted that worldwide smartphone sales will reach about 470 million units in 2011, a 57.7 per cent increase from 2010.
Sales of open operating system devices like Android will account for 26 per cent of all mobile handset device sales in 2011, and are expected to surpass the one billion mark by 2015, when they will account for 47 per cent of the total mobile device market.
“By 2015, 67 per cent of all open OS devices will have an average selling price of $300 or below, proving that smartphones have been finally truly democratized,” said Roberta Cozza, principal analyst at Gartner.
“As vendors delivering Android-based devices continue to fight for market share, price will decrease to further benefit consumers,” Cozza added.
Research In Motion too will see a fall in its market share as competition grows in the sector, Gartner said.