Microsoft Can't Get a Handle on Mobile Phone OS Market

Microsoft dominates the world's PC operating system market with a 93 percent market share, but the software giant performs poorly in the mobile phone market.

U.K. market researcher Canalys said that MS smartphone operating system Windows Mobile took up a mere 8.8 percent of the global market share in the third quarter this year, down 4.8 points on-year. The figure is far short of the 21 percent of RIM Blackberry and the 18 percent of Apple iPhone, not to mention the 46 percent of the top-selling Nokia Symbian.

Windows Mobile's lack of popularity is attributable to the slow operating speed and complicated menu. Critics say the product is made by a firm accustomed to the high capacity of the PC environment and does not suit cell phones in the first place.

BusinessWeek magazine wrote last month that Microsoft's latest smartphone software, Windows Mobile 6.5, "shows improvement, but doesn't even come close to challenging Apple's iPhone."

Microsoft hopes to turn the situation around with Windows Mobile 7 scheduled to hit the market in the second half of next year. But concerns linger as cell phone makers seem to be inclined to adopt Google's Android operating system instead.