Windows Phone Market Share Still Under 2%, Says Canalys

According to the research firm Canalys, total shipments of Windows Phones in 2011 amounted to 1.4 percent of share worldwide.

Canalys further stated that Windows Phone dropped by 46 percent while Android Phones and iOS increased by 244 percent and 96 percent, respectively. Moreover, in 2011, Apple also replaced Nokia as the leading seller of smartphones in terms of annual shipments.

However, the research firm said that there is still hope for Nokia to reclaim its glory of being on the top spot due to its 1.2 million shipment of Windows Phone last year.  According to the senior analyst of Canalys Tim Shepherd, "Its first Windows Phone products, the Lumia 800 and 710, along with the recently announced Lumia 900 through AT&T in the US, have improved the outlook for Nokia."

Shepherd also added that the Windows Phones are well-designed and competitive devices that symbolize that there is innovation in Nokia. Nokia must continue to build out its Lumia portfolio with devices tailored to address all price points and all the markets in which it aims to compete. It must hasten its transition from Symbian to Windows Phone around the world and, with Microsoft, promote and generate excitement for the platform and new products. And it must succeed in attracting more developers to build high quality, locally relevant apps.

There are speculations and clamour in the tech society that Windows Phone 8 will redeem the status of Windows Phone in the market. The new Windows Phone will bring back removable storage. Thus, you will be able to expand storage through microSD card. Moreover, the Windows Phone 8 will be part of the Windows 8 family of PCs, slates and convertibles.

Moreover, Skype is now part of Microsoft. Thus, the Skype will be integrated in the Windows Phone 8 OS. Moreover, native BitLocker encryption as well as business apps will push through in the business and corporate market.