Windows Phone continues to claw smartphone market share, as Apple loses ground

Windows Phone and Android both ended 2013 strongly, gaining in smartphone market share year-on-year, while Apple's iOS and BlackBerry lost ground - the latter dramatically.

A report and statistics published by analytics company Katar Worldpanel show that Android held a majority share of the smartphone market in all regions worldwide in the last three months of 2013. iOS held onto its second spot in most, but suffered year-on-year drops in market share in every territory.

In Italy, the Apple system even fell behind Windows Phone as the country's second largest operating system, a feat repeated in Latin America.

Windows Phone saw significant rises in market share across the board year-on-year, with a 6.4 per cent rise in France and 5.4 per cent rise in the UK.

BlackBerry's year-on-year percentage changes were minor, but in comparison to the amount of share held can be seen as damaging to the company currently undergoing transformation under new leadership.