After launching Windows Phone, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has been very vocal about its ambitions of becoming the No. 3 operating system platform behind Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG). The iOS and Android duopoly strengthened further in the first quarter, gobbling up 92.3% of smartphone market share, according to the most recent estimates out of IDC.
That stated goal would inevitably entail overtaking Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY). The Canadian company’s market share has been sliding for years at the hands of iOS and Android, making Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s job a little easier. Well, the software giant has done exactly what it set out to do.
Congratulations, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT).
Source: IDC.
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has overtaken Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) by a hair, with its 3.2% market share sliding ahead of Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY)’s 2.9%. That’s a testament to Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK) gaining traction with its Lumia lineup, even though increasing Lumia shipments haven’t been enough to impress investors.
Nokia Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:NOK) shipped 5.6 million Lumias in the first quarter, which represents a whopping 80% of the total 7 million Windows Phones that were shipped. The remaining 1.4 million is split between other OEMs HTC and Samsung. Huawei recently unveiled a Windows Phone 8 targeting prepaid consumers, but that was after the first quarter. All three of those manufacturers have a heavy focus on Android, so they have less to gain from Windows Phone’s rise. Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)’s Android is very much the reason why Samsung is the top vendor in the world.
It’s not surprising that Symbian posted the biggest decline of all platforms, down 89% from a year ago. Nokia has effectively abandoned the platform, but the silver lining is that Lumia sales are strong.
The figures also underscore the ceiling that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is running into. Its 7% growth severely underperformed the 42% growth in total smartphone shipments. This isn’t news, as IDC released its vendor estimates in April that conveyed the same comparison. The platform estimates are just a gloomy reminder.
Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) continues to mounts it turnaround on the backs of its Z10, Q10, and freshly unveiled Q5. With Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) only leading by a hair, it wouldn’t take much for Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) to reclaim its No. 3 title.
The article Congratulations, Microsoft originally appeared on Fool.com.
Fool contributor Evan Niu, CFA, owns shares of Apple. The Motley Fool recommends Apple and Google. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple, Google, and Microsoft.
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