Blackberry's fall from grace has been good news for Microsoft, as Windows Phone is now poised to take over the third place spot in the mobile OS race.
Projecting based on current adoption rates, Windows Phone users are expected to outnumber the Blackberry faithful by November, according to web usage data from StatCounter. The data shows the percentage of mobile users accessing the web from various operating systems.
The shift is mostly the result of users switching away from Blackberry, with web usage data showing the ailing OS dropping from six percent market share to around three percent since the beginning of 2012.
Windows Phone adoption is growing, but at a much slower rate, climbing from just under one percet market share to about one and a half percent now. If Blackberry and Windows Phone continue their current trends, Microsoft's OS will overtake Blackberry with still less than two percent of the mobile market.
The Windows 8 factor
Of course, that data is based on the current trends continuing without interruption. An interruption like, for example, Windows 8 handsets launching this October alongside the new desktop and tablet OS.
How much of a boost Windows 8 will give Microsoft's smartphones remains to be seen, though we'll get a better sense of the impact during Nokia and Microsoft's special event being held in September.
RIM, on the other hand, is not faring so well. The company is still in a transition as it readies its BlackBerry 10 platform for a launch at the start of 2013. Next year may be too late though, if Windows Phone jumps ahead by a significant margin carried by the new OS and a slew of new devices.
Source : techradar[dot]com
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