By measuring browser usage, the analytics company have a 'usage' stat that reflects platform share of those actually using the handsets as smartphones, and can have a direct correlation with advertising and marketing. It also gives a good indication on mobile trends.
Since we looked at at StatCounter two months ago, Windows Phone's usage share has inched up from 1.52% to 1.62%, which is likely within the margin of error on the data. In the same period Android has climbed up to 39.52%, with iOS continuing to fall, now on 23.44%.
This is the challenge that Microsoft have ahead of them. With the moribund Symbian OS still in regular use (6.33%) and Redmond's potential new feature phone powering S40 steady at 14.4%, there's a lot of ground to make up for WP.
Of course, as Steve pointed out in July, this is just another number, and needs to be put in context:
My headline, however, does rather give lie to my feelings about some of these numbers. By choosing the region, the time period, whether sales or active users are counted, by changing the definition of smartphone, by all these means you can significantly change the message. What really matters to most people, I suspect, is how well a particular mobile OS is doing in their country, i.e. what are people around them using, which has the best support and services, and so on. And this will, no doubt, vary wildly by country.
It might be the third ecosystem, but Windows Phone is still some way behind.