CES 2012: Nokia to Sell 37 Million Windows Phones in 2012

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2011 might have been a bad year for Microsoft in the mobile device market, but with mobile vendors accelerating their efforts this 2012, this might just be a good year for Windows Phone 7. Nokia is confident about sales from this point on, and analysts say the brand could sell at least 37 million units in 2012.

At his CES keynote speech, Microsoft CEO noted the platform’s potential in gaining market share this year. “We’ve got a lot of room to go in selling Windows Phones,” he says, but this goes both ways. The phenomenal growth of Android and iOS left other platforms far behind in terms of user based and developer ecosystem. But Microsoft is not taking it all sitting down. In partnering with Nokia, Windows Phone 7 might have just found a formidable ally.

Analysts from Morgan Stanley expect Nokia to sell upwards of 37 million Windows Phone 7 handsets in 2012, and this is achievable if Microsoft makes good on its word to heavily promote Windows Phone 7 to consumers and business users. In 2013, this figure could grow to 64 million units.

Meanwhile, another major manufacturer is poised to take a big bite out of Android’s and iOS’ market share. HTC could sell 43 million units this year and 74 million in 2013.

While Windows Phone 7 is more than a year old, what’s been lacking so far is killer hardware. But now with the emergence of Nokia’s Lumia 900 Windows Phone smartphone, and Microsoft’s mobile roadmap including both low-end smartphones and enterprise “superphones,” Microsoft could reclaim its place among major smartphone platforms. Still, Microsoft is banking on its hardware partners, such as Nokia and HTC, and we have yet to see if Windows Phone 7 performs better, now that Nokia has outed its promised Lumia handsets in important markets in Europe and the Americas.

Will 2012 be Windows Phone’s year?