Windows Phone is struggling to make an impact in China and the US, two markets that are key to the success of any mobile platform.

According to figures from Kantar WorldPanel ComTech, Windows Phone has a European market share of 10 per cent, putting it in third place behind Android and iOS.

However, the OS is making little progress in the US and China, the world’s two largest smartphone markets, where its share is 4.7 per cent and 2.7 per cent respectively.

“You don’t have to conquer China and the US to win in the smartphone market, but you do need success in one of them,” said Dominic Sunnebo, strategic insight director at Kantar.

He added there are few signs of progress in either market and progress needs to be made “before OS loyalty severely limits the available market”.

With Nokia — which accounts for the majority Windows Phone sales — having a large presence and retaining a strong customer preference in China, Sunnebo suggested the market is likely to be the “easier and more rewarding target for Windows”.

However, the analyst speculated that Microsoft’s takeover of Nokia makes it unlikely that the strategic focus will move away from the US.

The relative lack of big-name apps has been cited as holding back the progress of Windows Phone compared to iOS and Android. The arrival of a number of the most popular apps, such as Instagram and Vine, should boost Microsoft’s OS in some markets.