While Android competitors are struggling to defeat Apple’s iPhone in the worldwide smartphone market, Nokia has quietly emerged as the No.1 Windows smartphone seller (according to data from Strategy Analytics), even though it has only been in this business since early November 2011. Could it be the result of a strategic partnership between the Finnish company, whose market share in the smartphone segment was dwindling, and Microsoft?

The economical crisis striking the world had substantially affected the sales of Nokia, forcing it to close some of its Eastern-Europe based operations and invest more on new technologies in order to survive. And while outside in the “real world,” a fight is raging between Apple’s iPhone and Samsung’s Galaxy S2, Nokia set quietly in its European comfort zone, is laying eggs (read: new line of Windows Phone smartphones).

And, because more and more users are turning to Windows smartphones, it comes as no surprise that the total market of Windows phones grew to 36%, reaching a whopping 2.7 million units in latest quarter of 2011. However, Nokia and Microsoft partnership has a long way to go before it can think of global domination with Windows phones, because Apple and Samsung are ready to put up a good fight with their iOS and Android systems.

The Lumia 900 smartphone by Nokia is yet to be released, but from reviewers across the globe, Nokia and Microsoft have a real shot in the smartphone industry with this model, hoping to raise their worldwide sales, as well as the American ones. Currently, Nokia is struggling to re-enter the American market which is still ruled by Android (46.3%), iOS (30%) and RIM (Blackberry platform, 15%). However, one can hope the Finnish phone maker to script a noteworthy comeback and take the smartphone race to another level, with greater benefits spilling over to consumers.