Microsoft's Windows Phone platform is off to a slow start, according to analysis firm Gartner.

It says Microsoft sold just 1.6 million phones in the first quarter of the year.

For some perspective, Google is activating 400,000 Android devices per day, so it sees 1.6 million phones activated every four days. (It's not apples to apples, since activations don't equal sales, and Android is tablets, too, but it gives you an directional idea about the disparity.)

Apple sold 16.9 million phones last quarter, which means it sells 1.6 million phones every nine days.

Gartner says Microsoft's partnership with Nokia will improve sales in the long run for Windows Phone.

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