Beancounters at IDC, down under, have come to the conclusion that Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 operating system is doing rather well.
Despite the fact that Microsoft has been cagey about the numbers of phones running its operating system, which is a bad sign, IDC sees a rosy future for it.
In a report IDC claimed that Windows Phone 7 had a "stronger start" than Google's Android.
By tracking mobile phone sales on a quarterly basis, IDC said that Windows Phone 7, which went on sale on 20 October, snagged a 4.4 percent share for the quarter.
Nokia's Symbian maintained first place with a 32.2 percent share, followed by Apple's iOS with 30.3 percent and Android with a quarter of the market.
IDC telecommunications analyst Mark Novosel said that WP7 has had a strong start, given the short time it's been in the market and the strong growth from Android, Apple and large increase by Symbian in Q4.
He pointed out that a 4.4 percent share in the launch quarter was a very promising start.
It took Google more than 18 months to get its Android platform taken seriously.
WP7 has certainly had a stronger start than Android did, although it's coming into the market with a lot more competition than when Android launched, Novosel said.
It will still be Android that is the market leader possibly as early as the end of this month.
Looking at Novosel's comments it is fairly clear that he is a WP7 user.
He said that "one thing I particularly like about WP7 is the email experience".
Novosel said it's very intuitive, to select multiple messages you just touch at the left of the email and it brings up the multi-select option; emails are displayed nicely.
One thing we have noticed about smartphones is the need for users to evangelise their choices.
However he might be right. With Vole's deal with Nokia all signed and sealed, and the rubber boot maker walking away from Symbian, it is too early to write Microsoft off.
The advertising spend alone for WP7 in the first 6 months has probably dwarfed what android spent in the first year.
With phone7 it is all about marketing (did you see that terrible 'girl in a club like you because of your phone' tv garbage), ....
...whereas with android it is all about 6 month development cycles and delivering rock solid browser and phone os, having a range of browser plugins (choice remember), whilst encouraging 'all developers' to contribute apps.
You totally forget that this is an amazing OS, this is the reason is doing well. It has been marketed very badly by the adverts, altough I understand they haven't really spent the money yet, just a warm up. Windows phone 7 is the most fluid and pleasure to use OS right now, this is the main reason it's doing well. If apple were marketing it it would be 10% right now. It may be missing some features but it's just a great experience to have it in your pocket. Don't try to overanalyse it, one reason it's a great system.
s/haters/MVPs/;s/blast/sell/
Joshua Stowers, my question to you is if you are a Zune owner, then why did you buy Android?
Anyone can write Go Google at the end of a post, I am not believing a word of it.
pan "most fluid and pleasure to use OS"
compared to what? You probably have not even tried any of the competing phones, because you saw the Television advert 'girl fancies boy in club because he had a win7 phone', and you rushed out and bought one.
@Anonymous (surprise)
"The only think lacking is a decent marketing campaign."
If you can spend several hundred million on whole window displays and the web ad campaign that is littering the internet right now, and it still can't increase sales, then perhaps what the competition has really is just better ;)
The biggest problem is playing catch up. Slow browser, lack of browser plugins, these things do matter whether you like it or not.