Dive summary:

• Windows Phone is expected to have the fastest growing operating system the next five years, according to Analysys Mason.
• The expectation is that Windows Phone will ship 136 million units in 2017, and that will be 9% of the world’s smartphone shipments.
• Based on projections, the number of Windows Phones delivered in 2017 will match the number of Apple phones sent in 2012.

From the article:

… “Having a third significant OS player like Windows in the smartphone market would benefit mobile operators because it would reduce Apple’s and Google’s control over the market,” says Ronan de Renesse, author of the report. “It would also encourage subscribers to move from one OS to another, as well as improve operators’ negotiating position in smartphone retail.”