The future of the Windows Phone platform is bleak according to a new report, and not even the launch of Windows 10 seems to possess the means to enable the platform to rise from the ashes.
A report from the International Data Corporation (IDC) claims that Windows Phone growth will remain on the downside for quite some time. The data shows that Microsoft may only be able to ship 31.3 million devices in the 2015 calendar year, giving the company a 2.2 percent share of the smartphone market.
The IDC expects Microsoft to ship 43.6 million Windows Phone devices in 2019, but that won't amount to anything because Microsoft would only have acquired a 0.1 percent market share.
"Despite all the effort Microsoft has put into the launch of Windows 10, IDC does not expect Microsoft's share of the smartphone OS market to grow much over the coming years. In 2015, IDC expects the average selling price (ASP) of Windows Phones to be $148, which is $71 lower than Android's ASP of $219," according to the IDC.
The global smartphone market only managed to grow by 9.8 percent this year, while the Windows Phone platform declined by 10.2 percent. Interestingly enough, the IDC had predicted that the Microsoft mobile platform would see a 34 percent growth for 2015, but apparently that has not materialized.
The main reason for the decline of the platform, according to the IDC, has much to do with OEMs supporting Android over Windows Phone. Microsoft at the moment is finding it difficult to locate valuable partners who will take the platform seriously.
We also understand that the IDC was expecting Microsoft to make a lot of improvements to the mobile version of Windows 10, but as it stands, the operating system is arguably mainly for the desktop and tablets.
The newest version of Windows 10 Mobile is still lacking based on our extensive use of the software. Bugs are everywhere, which makes us wonder if Microsoft forgot to take full advantage of its insect repellent because the issues are not good.
At the end of the day, Microsoft may have to pull an Apple and travel this road alone, but it will require better smartphones than the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL.
