According to the latest Kantar report, Windows Phone managed to gain a serious user base in Europe over the year. Also, Windows Phone devices pushed the sales leaders in Mexico. 

During May-July 2013, Windows Phone OS held a record 8.2% smartphone market share for this platform in the markets of the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy and Spain. 

Kantar Worldpanel ComTech Strategic Director Dominic Sunnebo explained that due to the active sales of the inexpensive Nokia Lumia 520 model, there is one Windows Phone for every ten smartphones purchased in Britain, France, Germany and Mexico. Sanebo also added that the platform for the first time took second place in a major Mexican market, providing 11.6% of all smartphone sales in the country.

Why? More on this below.

Look, only 27% of iOS and Android users switch to another platform when changing their smartphone. But their choice does not fall on Windows Phone devices. In fact, they change between devices.

WP is a completely different matter. Sanebo claims that Windows Phone devices are more often bought by those who did not have a smartphone before (42% of Windows Phone sales over the past year). Speaking without hints: the owners of old Nokia handsets are switching to new ones. Due to this, Microsoft’s share in the mobile platform market is growing.  

Anyway, according to Sanebo’s forecast, next year it is for the owners of ordinary mobile phones that a fierce struggle will unfold among the key players.

It should be noted that in the last quarter Android devices provided 70% of smartphone sales in Europe and China. The main iOS markets are the USA (43.4% of sales), as well as Britain, France and Mexico. Things are not going well for BlackBerry devices: only 2.4% of sales in the five largest European markets and only 1.2% in the United States. 

A source: kantarworldpanel.com

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