Report: Windows Phone overtakes iOS in Italy and makes progress in Europe

There’s good news for Microsoft’s mobile efforts, as according to a latest report from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech showing data for the three months to September 2013, Windows Phone has overtaken iOS in Italy and now makes up one in 10 smartphone sales across five major European markets — the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain.

According to Kantar, Windows Phone’s progress is driven “almost entirely” by Nokia sales — as it continues to progress rapidly in Europe. For the last three months to August this year, Windows Phone-based devices accounted for 9.2 percent of smartphone sales in the same five markets.

Nokia has also been showing signs of growth in emerging markets, in particular Latin America. Given that Nokia has dominated in Latin America for many years, and the majority of consumers in the region still own a Nokia featurephone, Kantar says that “upgrading to an entry level Lumia is a logical next step.”

In the UK, Windows Phone-based devices make up 11.4 percent of the market, though Android remains top dog with 58.4 percent while Apple’s iOS has dipped by 1.0 percentage point to 27 percent. However, Kantar notes though that Apple’s share is expected to bounce back “strongly” over the Christmas season due to its new iPhones.

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In China though, local brands are the ones holding an edge over foreign brands.

Android devices account for a staggering 81.1 percent of the Chinese market, up 14.6 percentage points from last year — and domestic smartphone makers make up 44 percent of sales in the three months to September 2013, compared with 30 percent a year earlier. Kantar notes that Huawei, Xiaomi, Lenovo and Coolpad devices are especially popular outside of China’s largest cities as they generally offer better value for money than global brands.

Dominic Sunnebo, strategic insight director at Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, says:

Chinese consumers are prepared to make a huge investment in their smartphone, with some spending up to 70% of their monthly salary on a new device. With such a high investment, Chinese consumers want to get the best value for money and are increasingly opting for a high-spec local brand over a low-spec global equivalent.

Here’s a chart from Kantar showing the market share of major smartphone operating systems in various countries.

Headline image via Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images