Microsoft makes 5X from Android than Windows phones

If you were wondering how Microsoft was able to pull one debbacle after another in form of its Windows Phones, then here's the secret: According to Citi anlyst Walter Pritchard's latest big report, Microsoft earns five times more money from android than WP7s. And here's how it's happening: Back in April 2010 Microsoft settled an intellectual property infringement case against HTC. In the agreement, HTC agreed to pay Ballmer and his geekybench $5 per shipped Android set. HTC since then has sold 30 million sets, adding $150 million of fresh greens to Microsoft's piggy. In the interim, Microsoft's sold two million Windows Phone licenses over the same period, which accounts for $30 million dollars using an estimated license fee of $15 for each Windows Phone shipped.

But there's more:Microsoft has now sued other Android phone makers. In other words, even if HTC decides to move away, Microsoft will still be winning. After all, there is the Windows Phone 7 Mango luck also to factor.

[Gizmodo]