Windows Phone Turned the Corner in 2013
We're number three. And no, that doesn't suck — 2013 was nothing less than a blockbuster success for Windows Phone, which went from industry also-ran to the undisputed third mobile ecosystem, and is poised to challenge iPhone for the number two spot.
Context & Ripple Effects
The year-end 'number three' claim caps an arc that earlier coverage tracked in stages: Windows Mobile was still outselling Windows Phone 7 in Q4 2010, the platform's first anniversary got a lukewarm assessment from asymco, and by April 2013 Engadget reported Windows Phone gaining mainly at the expense of BlackBerry and Symbian. What changed by December is that the third-place slot is no longer framed as consolation — SuperSite argues the ecosystem graduated from also-ran to settled incumbent.
The story travelled unusually widely for a year-end retrospective, with pickups from TechCrunch, BGR, PhoneArena and others on or about publication day. The bolder claim — that Windows Phone is positioned to overtake the iPhone's number-two spot — comes from the author and remains unconfirmed positioning rather than settled fact.
First-order effects
- Microsoft ends 2013 with a defensible third-ecosystem narrative, which strengthens its pitch to OEMs and carriers weighing whether to keep building Windows Phone hardware alongside Android lines.
- BlackBerry, already identified in April 2013 coverage as the donor market for Windows Phone's gains, loses its remaining claim to being the default alternative ecosystem.
Second-order effects
- App developers and accessory makers face a three-platform world they can no longer defer: skipping Windows Phone becomes a costlier bet once it holds undisputed third place.
- Apple's number-two position shifts from assumed to contested, forcing its carrier and pricing posture in emerging markets to respond to Windows Phone momentum rather than only Android.
Third-order effects
- If the trajectory holds, mobile OS economics consolidate around three ecosystems instead of two, changing how licensing terms, exclusivity deals and developer priorities get negotiated across the industry.
- The pattern of one ecosystem's growth coming directly out of declining platforms (Symbian, then BlackBerry) points toward a market where third place is itself a durable, contestable business rather than a way station to exit.
The trend: Mobile is settling into a three-ecosystem structure in 2013, with Windows Phone converting former BlackBerry and Symbian share into a platform whose next target is Apple's second place.