RIM and Microsoft Fight for Smartphone Scraps

Evan Niu, CFA, The Motley Fool
Updated

Third-quarter estimates from IDC regarding the smartphone market are now out, and they show that Google's (NAS: GOOG) Android operating system now ships on a whopping three-quarters of all smartphones sold in the world. That's a phenomenal figure for a mobile operating system platform that's only four years young. Its next closest competitor was Apple (NAS: AAPL) with "just" a 15% market share -- a fifth of Big G's. Research In Motion (NAS: RIMM) saw its market share fall below 5%, as it awaits the launch of BlackBerry 10 next year. Microsoft (NAS: MSFT) is also transitioning to its new Windows Phone 8 platform, banking on hardware partners like Samsung, Nokia (NYS: NOK) , and HTC to boost its share. Still, with 90% of devices now running either iOS or Android, there's not a lot left for the rest of the players.

It's been a frustrating path for Microsoft investors, who've watched the company fail to capitalize on the incredible growth in mobile over the past decade. However, with the release of its own tablet, along with the widely anticipated Windows 8 operating system, the company is looking to make a splash in this booming market. In this brand-new premium report on Microsoft, our analyst explains that while the opportunity is huge, the challenges are many. He's also providing regular updates as key events occur, so make sure to claim a copy of this report now by clicking here.

The article RIM and Microsoft Fight for Smartphone Scraps originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Evan Niu, CFA, owns shares of Apple. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple, Google, and Microsoft. Motley Fool newsletter services recommend Apple, Google, and Microsoft. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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