RIM’s delay of its Blackberry 10 has given Microsoft just enough time to steal its market share in the EU.

The Blackberry 10 was delayed until next week and RIM have not really released anything significant for ages. While Microsoft had always wanted to take RIM’s market share this year, it probably did not expect it to be handed on a plate so easily. According to the latest figures from Kantar WorldPanel ComTech for the 12 weeks leading up to Christmas Day show Microsoft Windows Phone handsets representing 5.4  per cent of sales in the five leading E.U. economies of Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy and Spain. That is more than double the 2.6 per cent  for the same period in 2011.

RIM's BlackBerry, meanwhile, dropped from 10.3 per cent to 4 per cent over the same period, leaving it 1.4 per cent behind Microsoft’s operating system. Microsoft’s gains appear to have  come at the cost of both BlackBerry and Symbian devices. Symbian sales have understandably taken a nose dive since Nokia transitioned to Windows Phone starting in February, 2011.

However it is possible that everything could change next week when RIM finally releases its new phone and has something to counter attack with.  The question is, will Blackberry 10 be too late?