New figures published by Statista (“The Statistics Portal”) show that new interest in Apple’s iPhone is on the wane. The California-based company is already finding it difficult to attract new buyers to its handset, and this could explain the launch of the cheaper iPhone 5c. But growth is slowing right down, and Apple already finds that around 70 percent of its sales come from people buying a replacement iPhone. New custom is on a downward slide.

The prediction is that by 2015 this number will increase to a staggering 80 percent; there is no sign of Apple’s growth deceleration changing direction. As the percentage continues to decline, there is a real chance for Microsoft to make inroads by attracting upgraders to Windows Phone.

The majority of #iPhone sales are now replacement buys: ~70% of sales this fiscal year. http://t.co/yDa00QApZX pic.twitter.com/dVnSCVdB2I — Statista (@StatistaCharts) March 14, 2014

Apple has consistently failed to impress with recent handset launches. Sales have remained relatively impressive, but at each launch, there are grumbles that the company is simply failing to innovate. Each new iPhone is little different from its predecessor.

This could be the chance Windows Phone has been waiting for. Nokia is well positioned to offer a wide range of devices, starting off with cheaper entry-level handsets, all the way up to top of the range models. This is something that Apple simply does not have, and it could well work in Microsoft’s favour. It has taken time to get to this stage, but the tide may be about to turn.

There is already great excitement about the upcoming launch of Windows Phone 8.1 and this surge in interest may give the platform the push it needs to propel its popularity. Microsoft has already touted the money Windows Phone brings in, and handsets such as the Nokia Lumia 520 have proved incredibly popular — in this instance, price is almost certainly a determining factor.

Windows Phone has managed to overtake iPhone in many markets around the world, and it is Microsoft and Nokia’s ability to focus on the cheaper end of the market that will help to drive growth.

Once a decent foothold has been established, maybe we’ll be talking about the growth and staying power of Windows Phone rather than iPhone and Android. The time is now. Microsoft just needs to seize the opportunity with a timely push.

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