Moto, Samsung edging HTC in Win Mobile share?

Despite its reputation as one of the most prolific smartphone manufacturers on the market, HTC is shedding marketshare to more narrowly focused companies such as Motorola and Samsung, says internal info leaked from Microsoft. While the maker of phones such as the Touch and Tilt accounted for exactly half of all Windows Mobile smartphones during Microsoft's fiscal 2007, in recent months this has dipped as low as 30 percent; the company is now on roughly equal footing with Motorola and Samsung who both own between 20 and 30 percent on average, the leak claims.

Motorola, which makes the Q Global as well as a handful of extra smartphones, is said to have the slight edge. Samsung is best-known for the BlackJack in the US as well as some of its i- and Ultra-series handsets.

The loss is believed to stem from heating competition between companies producing Windows Mobile phones, many of which now focus heavily or exclusively on their touchscreens as well as more advanced media features. LG's KU990 Viewty is considered one of the strongest-selling devices of the type and uses a custom Flash interface over top Windows Mobile.

Filed under: industry, gadgets
Other story tags: Microsoft, Samsung, Motorola, Windows Mobile, LG, htc, Viewty