“Research firm Ovum have been talking about some predictions they have for the smartphone market moving forward to 2016 and it makes nice reading for Google, but not so nice reading for RIM and Nokia.The central plank of the forecast is a doubling in the smartphone market by 2016 and Ovum predict that this will be led by, and dominated by, Google’s Android, which they say should command a 38% market share. That wouldput Android well ahead of the competition as Ovum sees it.By comparison Apple would hold the number 2 spot with a 17.5% share whilst Windows Phone would take third spot with 17.2%. RIM would be a distant fourth with around 16.5%. If that proves correct it would suggest that whilst Nokia would help propel Microsoft up the rankings the benefit would mostly be in Microsoft’s favour given that Nokia currently has a leading role today hence Nokia itself would see a sharp decline in their smartphone dominance.It may be a double edged sword for Microsoft though as Ovum analyst Adam Leach explains: For Microsoft the deal provides a committed handset partner that has the potential to make Windows Phone a mainstream smartphone platform. The risk to Microsoft is that other handset makers may choose not to compete with Nokia and may turn their backs on Windows Phone. Interestingly the forecast also predicts that another platform will manage to break into the mainstream e.g. Bada, webOS, MeeGo, or maybe even something new. One thing is clear enough though, all of this is not fact so please remember don’t treat it as such!” via mobile-review.com