Topic: Analysts: Windows Phone 7 will lose mobile market share

[Simon]

Windows Phone 7 will do nothing to improve Microsoft's share of the mobile market, according to analysts.

The software giant is set to unveil handsets running Windows Phone 7 system later today, with phones expect to hit shelves within a month.

At the moment, Microsoft holds a 5% share of the global smartphone market, according to research firm Gartner, compared with 9% a year ago. Rival Google's Android system has a 17% market share, jumping from only 2% a year ago.

Read more: http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/361798/analysts-windows-phone-7-will-lose-mobile-market-share

[Rik]

Is this the thin end of the wedge for MS?

[Simon]

I think it's make or break for their mobile OS side, but I think it will take a lot for them to lose their market share of PC operating systems.

[Rik]

I think it's going to happen gradually. Apple are becoming more mainstream and increasing numbers of people are trying Unix. If that gets to 'critical mass', the change could happen quite fast.

[Simon]

Apple still need to be more competitively priced, imo, then they may have a chance of gaining the  lion's share.

[Rik]

They've become more affordable over the years and they now aim at the consumer market much more than they used to.