iOS 5 vs Ice Cream Sandwich: Smartphone Market to Remain a Two-Horse-Race, Just Not the One Ballmer Predicted
Following Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's recent anti-Android rant, analysts have voiced support for the notion that the fight for smartphone supremacy is a two-horse-race -- between Android Ice Cream Sandwich and iOS 5. Reuters

Speaking at the Web 2.0 conference in San Francisco Oct. 18, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer took the opportunity to tout the Windows Phone operating system by criticizing its main competitor.

You don't need to be a computer scientist to use a Windows Phone, but I think you do to use Android, Ballmer said.

Bold words considering Windows Phone sales were 1.4 million, according to asymco.com. That's much lower than Android or Apple, despite Microsoft's increasing focus on the mobile platform. Windows Phone now partners with Nokia, Samsung and HTC, and recently launched a new version, 7.5 Mango.

Furthermore, Microsoft will be launching new dual core, LTE enabled devices that are more like the high end iPhone. Forbes even expects Windows Phone to overtake Apple's iOS by 2015 in terms of worldwide market share.

Ballmer had more to say though. He announced a new Windows Phone powered Nokia device will launch next week and that he's glad Microsoft didn't buy Yahoo back in 2008. The deal would have been worth nearly $40 billion if Yahoo hadn't turned down the offer.

We would have closed that deal just about post-Lehman Brothers, Ballmer said referring to the worldwide recession that started near the end of that year. Sometimes...you're lucky.

Follow along with the Web 2.0 Summit with this list of YouTube videos. Tell us in the comments if you'd consider buying a Windows Phone.

Iphone Microsoft Steve Ballmer Lehman brothers