ABI Research awards Windows Phone 10.9 million Q4 2013 shipments, 4% market share

While we have had varying reports for the total number of Windows Phone shipments in Q4 2013, ABI Research has been the closest to what our expectations for the quarter were.

They report 280 million handsets were shipped in the final quarter of 2013, with Windows Phone taking 10.9 million of the total number of shipments, up 104% from 5.3 million in Q4 2012, for a 4% market share.  They note Nokia accounted for 90% of Windows Phone shipments.

They also observed that while Android grew 51% YoY to 221.5 million units shipped, taking 77% market share, a large percentage of these handsets did not use Google’s services.

Most of the growth was coming from forked Android operating systems (137% year-on-year), mainly in China, India, and adjacent markets. Forked Android or AOSP accounted for 25% market share with 71 million unit shipments, as opposed to certified Android’s share of 52%, of a total of 77% market share. OHA Android only grew 29% YoY.

“The growth of AOSP is significant for Android’s owner Google, because AOSP does not offer Google’s services (due to their unavailability in China), impacting Google’s ability to monetize the Android ecosystem,” comments Nick Spencer, senior practice director, mobile devices.

Interestingly this presents an opportunity for Microsoft to offer their services on an equal footing with Google in those countries.

The iPhone grew from 15% in Q3 to 18% in Q4 2013 on the launch of the iPhone 5s, but was down year-on-year from 23% in Q4 2012 as emerging markets accounted for most of the growth.

“Apple continues to avoid a low cost smartphone product to target these markets, focusing instead on its traditional premium segment, where growth is harder to achieve due to fast approaching market saturation,” adds Spencer.

Windows Phone was once again the fastest growing mobile operating system, which bodes well for growth in 2014.

Read the full report at ABI Research here.