We have already seen the Kantar numbers for November 2013, and while the results are thankfully encouraging in Europe, with Windows phone taking a respectable 10% of the 5 largest European markets, the numbers remain stubbornly flat in USA and China, at only 4.7% in USA and 2.7% in China.
Kantar analyst Dominic Sunnebo comments: “You don’t have to conquer China and the US to win in the smartphone market, but you do need success in one of them. At the moment there are few signs of progress in either country for Windows Phone and momentum needs to be made soon before OS loyalty severely limits the available market.”
Sunnebo notes China is the most amenable market, but that Microsoft, as a US company, may instead continue to futile attack the US market.
“China is likely to be the easier and more rewarding target for Windows. After all, Nokia has a huge existing presence in the market, retains strong customer preference and can sell handsets at the right price to capture the huge numbers of people with relatively modest budgets. However, with Microsoft soon running the show it’s hard to imagine a change in strategic direction away from the US.”
Which course do our readers think Microsoft should pursue? Let us know below.