ZD Net UK is reporting that by 2010 Microsoft and Linux Smartphones will surpass Symbian in units shipped.
Quoting an analyst's report from the Diffusion Group, by 2010 "Symbian will see its market share halved to around 22 percent, while Windows will climb to more than 28 percent and Linux to more than 26 percent".
In the same story ZD Net UK reports via an interview from Silcone.com, that Jørgen Behrens, VP of Product Management and Strategy at Symbian, said, "he considered Microsoft and Linux less of a commercial threat than the own-brand OSes used by handset vendors on their mid-range phones. "Microsoft are years behind us. We have the battle-hardened robustness that you get on a system... on 200 networks in 70 countries, rather than just odd operators in odd countries."
It is interesting to note that recently Symbian significantly reduced the price it charges OEM handset manufacturers for it OS, and completely eliminated it tiered pricing altogether.
[via ZD Net UK]