Symbian to outpaces Microsoft in mobile phone market, says report

"Symbian PLC will outpace Microsoft Corp. in the market for cellular phone operating systems, reaching double the market share in 2007, a research firm said Friday.

Symbian, a software consortium formed by handset makers, will have 5 percent of the market in five years, with Microsoft coming in second with 2.5 percent and Linux third with 2 percent, the Probe Group, Cedar Knolls, N.J., said.

In determining market share, Probe included all operating systems used to run a variety of mobile devices today, including personal digital assistants (PDAs), cellular phones and pagers.

Microsoft, ... has failed to attract a lot of interest in its Smartphone operating system. Only one manufacturer, Taiwan's High Tech Corp., is making phones with the OS, which is being distributed in Europe by Orange in the United Kingdom, Chamberlain said. Only 40,000 units have been sold, so far."