According to Citi analyst Walter Pritchard's lastest big report on Microsoft, the Redmond company makes five times more income from Android than from Windows Phone. You may pick up your jaws now.
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 cronies $5 per shipped Android set. Citi says that HTC has sold 30 million sets, adding $150 million of fresh greens to Microsoft's piggy bank.
Now, Microsoft 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. That's not the only way they are going to be getting money from the Android handsets: Microsoft has sued other Android phone makers. And if HTC gave up, you can be sure that those are lawsuits that are also likely going to be settled too. To the tune of $7.50 to $12.50 per handset sold, says Citi.
So no matter what, they are winning. And on top of that, Windows Phone 7 Mango is only going to make things better for them. [Asymco]