Windows Phone Slowly Picks Up Steam

By Chloe Albanesius

While Android is the most popular smartphone mobile operating system in the U.S., Apple's iOS and Microsoft's Windows Phone platforms also saw gains in recent months, according to new stats.

As noted by Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, Android had 51.7 percent of the U.S. smartphone market in the three months ending April 2013, followed by iOS with 41.4 percent and Windows Phone with 5.6 percent.

Windows Phone grew 1.8 percent in the U.S. in the last year, Kantar said, which it attributed to feature phone upgrades and interest from younger users.

Among those who bought a Windows Phone in the last year, 42 percent upgraded from a feature phone, 25 percent traded in an old Windows Phone device for a new one, and 23 percent switched from Android. For those who bought a new iPhone, only 31 percent upgraded from a feature phone, which Kantar said showcased Windows' strength in attracting feature phone users.

"But it's not just about capturing the market that is yet to upgrade. Windows is also seeing success in the younger group," Kantar analyst Mary-Ann Parlato said in a statement. "When looking at those who changed device, between 2011 and 2012 Windows was more successful at capturing older consumers aged 50-64. But when looking at those changing now and in the last year, we're seeing Windows now gaining share among those aged 25-34."

Specifically, those buyers are most interested in Nokia's Lumia lineup of Windows Phones. In the U.S., new Lumia devices include the Lumia 925 and Lumia 521 for T-Mobile, and theLumia 928 for Verizon.

Last month, IDC found that Windows Phone earned the largest year-over-year gain among the leading OSes, and beat out BlackBerry for the third spot behind iOS and Android. The Microsoft platform grabbed 3.2 percent of the market, up from 2 percent in the year-ago quarter, according to IDC. Much of Windows Phone's increase can be attributed to Nokia, which accounted for 79 percent of all Windows Phone shipments during the quarter.

On the carrier front, about 36.3 percent of smartphones sold in the three-month period ending April 2013 were for devices on Verizon, up 1.8 percent. About 26.3 percent were for AT&T, Sprint landed in the No. 3 spot with 13.1 percent, and T-Mobile declined to 11.3 percent.