Troubled smartphone maker HTC is reported to be set to “drift away” from Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform, as Nokia has become the dominant force with this platform with Samsung in second place.

According to Taiwanese publication DigiTimes, after attempting to regain share in the Windows Phone market with the launch of the 8X and 8S last year, HTC shifted its focus back to Android when it became clear that Nokia had taken the lead with the Microsoft platform.

Now struggling – forecasting a loss for the current quarter – as its device volumes tail off, HTC may no longer see the need to support the development of smartphones supporting both platforms, especially if the Windows Phone market is being dominated by bigger rivals.

But, if true, the move is significant. HTC has had a long relationship with Microsoft, being the launch partner (with Orange) for the first Windows smartphones and having also been behind other convergence devices such as the O2 Xda – indeed the company’s initial success was built on Windows, before it moved into the Android space in 2008.