Microsoft's mobile operating system market share is less than 1%, and it may repeat the failure of Symbian

Recently, statistics agency Statista*** released data comparing the market share and global shipments of all mobile operating systems from the first quarter of 2009 to the second quarter of 2016, showing that Windows Phone currently has a market share of less than 1%. Industry insiders believe that Windows Phone may follow the path of Nokia's Symbian system.

Data shows that as of the second quarter of 2016, Android phones have accounted for 86.2% of the market, a record high, with iOS ranking second at 12.9%, and Microsoft's Windows Phone share is less than 1%, only 0.6%. In the same period last year, Windows Phone's market share was 2.5%, and in the first quarter of this year it was 1.6%.

In terms of shipments, Windows Phone sold 1.97 million units in the second quarter, a sharp drop from 8.1 million units in the same period last year. Android sold a total of 296.91 million phones worldwide, iPhone sold 44.4 million units, and BlackBerry sold 400,000 units.

In major markets around the world, Windows Phone's market share in Germany fell from 10.5% to 5.4%; in Italy, Windows Phone's market share fell from 14.2% to 5.6%; in the Chinese market, Windows Phone's market share fell to 0.3%; and in Australia, Windows Phone's market share fell from 6.3% to 3%.

Although Microsoft's operating system has not experienced the glory of Nokia's Symbian operating system, industry insiders believe that it will eventually embark on the same path of extinction. Data shows that in the first quarter of 2009, the then dominant Symbian operating system had a market share of 48.8%, nearly half, but the former dominant system disappeared in 2013.

Industry insiders said that the continuous decline in Windows Phone's market share is not surprising. Microsoft has been inactive and neglecting its mobile phone business, which has led to smartphone manufacturers no longer being optimistic about Microsoft and no longer willing to spend money to purchase Windows Phone system licenses. In order to compete with the Android system, Microsoft had to announce that it would provide Windows Phone system licenses to mobile phone manufacturers for free. When pushing Windows 10 Mobile earlier this year, Microsoft also abandoned half of Windows Phone 8.1 devices. It is understood that Microsoft has reorganized the company's mobile phone hardware business department and laid off several employees.