Windows Mobile
By 2013, there will be 67.9 million Windows Mobile smartphones making up 15.3 percent of the market, analysis firm iSuppli is predicting. That would be more than double today's spread of 27.7 million Windows Mobile phones.
And it would make Windows Mobile again the second-most-used mobile operating system, behind Symbian, iSuppli said.
How is iSuppli predicting this? I'll let the company speak for itself. From Thursday's iSuppli report, titled "Reports of Windows Mobile's Death are Greatly Exaggerated":
Microsoft's recent loss of two licensees – Palm and Motorola – has been cited as a sign of Windows Mobile's weakness. However, these losses may not be as significant as they might appear. ...
Windows Mobile recently gained another key licensee: LG, the world's No. 3 mobile-phone OEM. LG has pledged to produce 50 Windows Mobile handset models. Even after the loss of Palm and Motorola, Windows Mobile still boasts the largest number of OEM licensees among all smart-phone operating systems, at 14. Symbian is in second place, at 10.
The catch is that, in order to realize iSuppli's prediction, Microsoft has to carry through with its plans and deliver a beautifully functional Windows Mobile 7 operating system. Windows Mobile 7 would help Microsoft finally catch up to the rest of the mobile-OS market, iSuppli said.
"Microsoft in 2010 will introduce an updated version of its operating system, Windows Mobile 7, which is expected to sport an enhanced user interface and browser as well as multi-touch control," Tina Teng, senior wireless communications analyst for iSuppli, said in the report. "This will make it much more competitive with the alternatives on the market."
But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Microsoft is just about to ship Windows Mobile 6.5 – on Tuesday. Though it adds updated touch-screen support and a new version of Internet Explorer, Windows Mobile 6.5 is not likely to be the market-leading OS iSuppli sees in Windows Mobile 7.
At this point, not much is known outside the company about Windows Mobile 7, anyway.
And it would make Windows Mobile again the second-most-used mobile operating system, behind Symbian, iSuppli said.
How is iSuppli predicting this? I'll let the company speak for itself. From Thursday's iSuppli report, titled "Reports of Windows Mobile's Death are Greatly Exaggerated":
Microsoft's recent loss of two licensees – Palm and Motorola – has been cited as a sign of Windows Mobile's weakness. However, these losses may not be as significant as they might appear. ...
Windows Mobile recently gained another key licensee: LG, the world's No. 3 mobile-phone OEM. LG has pledged to produce 50 Windows Mobile handset models. Even after the loss of Palm and Motorola, Windows Mobile still boasts the largest number of OEM licensees among all smart-phone operating systems, at 14. Symbian is in second place, at 10.
The catch is that, in order to realize iSuppli's prediction, Microsoft has to carry through with its plans and deliver a beautifully functional Windows Mobile 7 operating system. Windows Mobile 7 would help Microsoft finally catch up to the rest of the mobile-OS market, iSuppli said.
"Microsoft in 2010 will introduce an updated version of its operating system, Windows Mobile 7, which is expected to sport an enhanced user interface and browser as well as multi-touch control," Tina Teng, senior wireless communications analyst for iSuppli, said in the report. "This will make it much more competitive with the alternatives on the market."
But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Microsoft is just about to ship Windows Mobile 6.5 – on Tuesday. Though it adds updated touch-screen support and a new version of Internet Explorer, Windows Mobile 6.5 is not likely to be the market-leading OS iSuppli sees in Windows Mobile 7.
At this point, not much is known outside the company about Windows Mobile 7, anyway.
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