Low-end and entry-level Lumias like the Lumia 535 and Lumia 635 continue to dominate the landscape, Windows 10 preview phones dip and Microsoft owns more than 96% of the Windows Phone market

AdDuplex (AdDuplex.com) have released their Windows Phone Device Stats for March, 2015. The story of low-end and entry level Windows Phones continue to dominate the landscape while new figures for India, Russia, Brazil, France, Italy, and the US reveal their unique stories. AdDuplex runs a cross-promotion advertising network running on 5,265 different apps on Windows Phone, and the data was compiled on March 20 for this analysis.

Worldwide The latest data proves just how entrenched entry-level and low-end Windows Phone hardware is in the Microsoft mobile ecosystem. Nearly 61 percent (60.8%) of all Windows Phone devices worldwide are made up by the Lumia 520, Lumia 530, Lumia 535, Lumia 620, Lumia 625, Lumia 630 and Lumia 635. Best VPN providers 2020: Learn about ExpressVPN, NordVPN & more This percentage share of the market is increasing. In terms of high-end phones, the venerable Lumia 920 holds the largest slice of the data at 4.5 percent, followed by the Lumia 925 at 3.1 percent. Presumably newer devices like the Lumia 830, Lumia 930 and Lumia 1520 have not impacted the global percentage enough to get differentiated. At this point, it is hard to know if Windows Phone is just resonating in the low-end or failing in the high-end due to lack of new and enticing hardware. Until Microsoft releases a compelling flagship phone later this year with Windows 10, we will not know. However, it should be clear that the Lumia 920 is still being held on to by many who do not see the Lumia 930 as its natural heir to the throne.

Lumias rule the roost over HTC and Samsung It is not surprising to see the Lumia brand making up a massive 96.43 percent of all Windows Phone hardware. This dominance is up nearly half a percentage point from last month's data when it the Lumia total capped at 96 percent. HTC is holding on at 1.93 percent and Samsung at just 0.78 percent; both dropping from last month's data. Recently, Microsoft and Samsung have patched up their legal battles to renew some partnerships. It remains to be seen if this détente carries over to Windows Phone. If Samsung is going to make a push back into the Windows Phone world, they likely will not do so until Windows 10 comes out later this year.

Windows 10 on phone dips Microsoft recently released the Windows 10 preview for phones. Although the number of devices that could run the preview is limited to just a handful of lower-end Lumias, the number peaked at 0.2 percent last month for OS share. This number has now declined to just 0.1 percent. Reasons for the drop likely include non-existent updates to that preview (although we are expecting one this week) and the realization that Windows 10 on phone is still too early for people to be using on a daily basis. As a result, people may have rolled back their handsets to Windows Phone 8.1 in anticipation of a more stable release of Windows 10 down the road.

The Lumia 635 is huge in the US, bodes well for Lumia 640 In the United States, the Lumia 635 and Lumia 630 command 32 percent of the Windows Phone hardware. Another 30 percent of the pie is given to the Lumia 520, Lumia 521, and Lumia 530. The Lumia 635 has gained nearly 6 percentage points over last month, overtaking the Lumia 521 on T-Mobile for top phone. Reasons for the increase in share are attributable to availability on AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile in addition to low-cost deals from retailers. Both Amazon and Walmart had the Lumia 635 for just under $50 with no contract, making this LTE-enabled phone a bargain (despite some of its drawbacks). Microsoft's recently announced Lumia 640 and Lumia 640 XL have yet to go on sale here. However, the market looks favorable to their success. AT&T will carry both new phones while T-Mobile and MetroPCS are offering the Lumia 640 in the coming weeks.

Speaking of carriers, AT&T still commands 32.3 percent of the Windows Phone space with Cricket (21.5%) and T-Mobile (18.1%) grabbing nearly 40 percent. It is unfortunate that the Lumia 735 was never released in the US as that device may have fared better in this climate. Verizon was slated to get the phone at one point, but those plans have evidently fallen through.