Microsoft continues investments in Windows Phone, and the mobile operating system is scheduled to receive an important update next year, so all these efforts would better pay off as soon as possible to really make sense for the Redmond-based tech giant.

A report by IDC suggests that by 2018 a lot could change for Windows Phones, as Microsoft's improvements would actually manage to attract more users and thus increase the market share of its own smartphone platform.

How many users? IDC says that Windows Phone is well positioned to at least double its market share by 2018, so expect quite a lot of buyers to purchase devices powered by Microsoft software instead of Android and iOS.

But this doesn't necessarily mean that Android and iOS will lose ground, IDC says, as both will continue their growth in the coming years.
Windows Phone still third

The estimated 2018 market share for Android is 80 percent, IDC adds, which would obviously make it the clear leader of the smartphone market in the coming years. Android already is number one right now with a share of 82.3 percent, so Google's smartphone OS will lose a few percentage points in the short term.

iOS currently has a market share of 13.8 percent, according to the very same source, but will experience a drop of 1 percent by 2018, so Apple's platform will reach 12.8 percent four years from now.

Windows Phone, on the other hand, is the only mobile operating system that's well positioned to double its market share and thus reach new milestones in its growth in this particular side of the industry.

Windows Phone is said to hold a market share of 2.7 percent, but by 2018 Microsoft's platform is expected to reach 5.6 percent.
Mixed results from Microsoft's rival platforms

IDC explains that both Android and iOS will see mixed results in the coming years following the improvements that the two platforms are getting these days, with Windows Phone currently being the only big mobile platform that's expected to significantly boost its market share in the short term.

"Apple's approach with premium pricing ensures a growing portion of overall revenues despite its declining market share. Meanwhile, Android's multi-faceted approach – with forked versions and low-cost Android One strategy – will produce mixed results, yet it allows deeper penetration into emerging markets," Ramon Llamas, Research Manager with IDC's Mobile Phones team, said.

Obviously, Microsoft itself hopes that this report is accurate, as challenging Google and Apple in the mobile industry has become a priority for the Redmond-based tech giant.