Estimate: 2.5M Windows Phone 7 Shipments in Q1

Global smart phone shipments grew 79.7 percent in the first fourth of 2011, according to IDC, which released the figures today.
Apple moved into second place, pushing ahead of ailing Research in Motion and close the gap on Nokia.
Manufacturers shipped 99600000 smartphones in the quarter, up from 55.4 million units last year.
Most surprising is Apple's change with respect to Nokia.
In Q1 2010, 12.8 million units separated the two handset manufacturers.
Last quarter, Apple closed the gap to 5.5 million.
Given Nokia's transition to Windows 7 Phone and Apple's continued expansion carrier, especially China and the United States, it is conceivable Apple could match or pull ahead of Nokia in 2011.From a growth perspective, the quarter belonged to Samsung and HTC, which posted 350 percent and 230 percent year-over-year growth, respectively.
The smartphone wars are fully engaged, with no clear winner in sight - if it ever will be one - despite Nokia Apple horse race.
Top Rated ships Nokia phones with Symbian (ahead of a move to Windows phone); Apple phones have IOS, and third-rank RIM offers BlackBerry OS.
So is the fourth ranked Samsung, which is doing well shipping a variety of operating systems.
If anything, defines the fragmentation of the smartphone market right now - at least as measured by leading suppliers.
Then there is the HTC and Samsung growth, which comes in part from Google's mobile OS.
The emergence of Android as a prominent mobile operating system has made several suppliers to get the part quickly, said Restivo.
Year over year, Samsung's market share rose from 4.3 percent to 10.8 percent, while HTC pulled up from 4.9 percent to 8.9 percent.
But the shipment gains are more impressive with the Samsung more than quadrupled and more than tripling the HTC smartphone shipments.
Meanwhile, Nokia and RIM lost ratio, 38.8 per cent to 24.2 per cent and 19.1 per cent to 14 per cent, respectively.
In comparison, Apple shipments rose 114.4 percent, with a market share of 3 points to 18.7 percent and shipments up 10 to 18.7 million.
More broadly, the market has hit its stride, said Ramon Llamas, IDC senior analyst, said in a statement: Conditions in the market for smart phones is to create a perfect storm for lasting smartphone growth.
First, suppliers are increasingly focuses on smart phones as key to its growth.
Second, the Committee has proliferated from mainly high-end equipment to include more mid-range and entry-level deals.
Third, the pricing has become increasingly competitive, with even high-end equipment available at low price points.
Finally, the users continue to seek greater benefits from their mobile phone beyond voice, and smart phones have been the ideal solution.
Together these add up to continued smartphone growth through the year.
The race to watch is between Apple and Nokia.
Anyone want to bet on a winner? Or state the odds? You know what comments are for.