IDC believes Microsoft can sell 30 million WP7 devices by end of 2011

WMExperts

One thing about sales predictions, especially this volatile market with heavy competition, is that they can come back haunt you.

So in 19 months, as we near end of 2011, Microsoft have better have sold something upwards of 30 million Windows Phone 7 devices. Otherwise, we’ll never hear end of it, especially from certain Cupertino place. That 30 million number comes from ReMix event in France during presentation by IDC, a large technology forecasting company. (These the same ReMix events going around the world where all this WP7 info coming as late).

To put this into perspective, iPhone has only sold 51+ million devices total in 3 years.

Now in fairness, currently about 14% all cell users smartphone owners and we keep expecting that number explode in next few years. Because smartphone owners such tiny minority today, we always laugh off these ideas that "the mobile OS war" is already over.

Ninja please, this still just the beginning and it’s anyone’s game, even if the competition has a huge leg up. If we recall, Palm too once dominated this industry. Microsoft will also have the advantage of launching all four US carriers at once, multiple device OEMs and of course launch world-wide. Assuming WP7 a &quothit&quot, they could hit that number.

Still, we would have rather this "30 million" thing stay behind doors as this sort thing pushes more interesting news out way, place juvenile OS fanboyism. And we’re sure everyone will forget it was IDC not Microsoft who made this claim.

[via MobileTechWorld]