Although mobile subscribers will download nearly 36 billion applications this year, Microsoft's Windows Phone operating system will represent only 2 percent of installs this year according to a new forecast issued by ABI Research. Apple's iOS and Google's Android will together drive 83 percent of app downloads this year, the firm adds.

ABI cautions that while Research In Motion's BlackBerry and Nokia's Symbian currently lead Windows Phone, the Microsoft platform's future is still promising. ABI cites a number of factors currently limiting Windows Phone's app download growth, including its relatively small device market share, the slow international rollout of Microsoft's Windows Phone Marketplace storefront and limited in-app purchase options. Another challenge: The absence of Windows Phone-powered tablets. ABI contends that advances in any of these areas will have a positive impact on app consumption.

"One message we hear from many developers is that, purely technically speaking, Windows Phone is actually a rather appealing platform," said ABI Senior Analyst Aapo Markkanen. "And if it turns out to be a platform for relatively high-end devices, avoiding the fragmentation pitfalls of Android, it won't even need to achieve a remarkably large market share to attract a vibrant app scene. The arrival of the first Windows 8 tablets, as well as Windows Phone's upgrade to the Apollo iteration, should also give it a boost, since developers can reuse their code to launch on various screen sizes."