The "Smoked by Windows Phone" tests Microsoft launched at CES 2012 have been well-publicised, with some contestants claiming Microsoft is fixing the challenges to ensure its devices win. Whether or not those claims are true, Microsoft has released figures showing over 50,000 non-Windows Phone devices have been "Smoked by Windows Phone" resulting in a 98 percent success rate.

Microsoft says the aim of the test was to prove that Windows Phone is the fastest smartphone operating system available for "everyday stuff." The company added the popularity of the test has seen it run in stores, among users and "hosted by Microsoft teams all over the world."

Eight million videos of the "Smoked by Windows Phone" challenges have been viewed since January's Consumer Electronics Show. 95 percent of viewers like the videos on YouTube, while 36 countries are running the "Smoked by Windows Phone" challenge: Hong Kong is running a game show version of the tests, while Indonesia took over a mall with 50 people.

India is running a variant of the Windows Phone challenge called "Blown Away by Lumia," which aims to show off the Nokia Lumia 800, while the "Dare to Live" campaign in the UK tests other devices against the Lumia 800. The non-Windows Phone users win money for beating the device, while losing means a 'daring' challenge has to be done.

Specifically, 50,675 devices have been "Smoked by Windows Phone" since CES 2012 while just 638 Windows Phone devices have been beaten. Microsoft stores are uploading photos of every victory. Those wins translate to 98 percent of tests from CES to today.

More than 100 million people are estimated to have participated in, seen or read about a "Smoked by Windows Phone" challenge worldwide. The blog post says this includes social and media impressions from Microsoft's videos and ads along with media coverage, shares, tweets and Facebook posts.

Microsoft is also launching new ads which explain the challenge - betting $100 over whether a Windows Phone is faster than other devices. One video shows the HTC Evo 3D failing to upload to Facebook. The ads can be viewed in a playlist.

(edited by Jonathan Charles, edited by Dave Clark)