IDC predicts that Windows Phone is going to overtake Apple iOS and become the No.2 OS running smartphones by 2016. But they believe Android will safely hold the top spot.

IDC made this forecast on Wednesday morning. They believe Apple’s worldwide market share is going to drop in 2016 as it has to look for new customers while relying on its old customers to replace their current iPhone. "Emerging market growth is of utmost importance if iOS is to gain share," IDC said. But before 2016, Apple’s growth will moderate many markets around the world.

The prediction sounds really surprising considering that Windows now holds only 5.2 percent market smartphone shipments while BlackBerry is ahead with 9.7 percent share. But IDC analysts believe things will be different in the next four years despite Windows’ slow start. And it mostly depends on the pricing and evolving markets.

IDC’s report also projects that Windows Phone will hold 19.2 percent of market share in 2016. But it won’t affect iOS much as it will drop to 19 percent from 20.5 percent market share. Android will not lose its current No.1 place but will fall to 52.9 percent from its 61 percent market share.

Nokia is currently manufacturing Windows-based phones. And IDC analysts believe Nokia can help Windows become the No.2 mobile OS. Nokia is popular in Asia, Africa and Latin American countries and Windows Phone OS is going to be a part of it now. “It really comes down to this: We can easily point to Nokia being one of the biggest leaders over there [in emerging markets],” Ramon Llamas, senior research analyst with IDC’s Mobile Phone Technology and Trends team, said.

Major and popular carriers like Verizon and AT&T are also supporting Windows Phone. But at the end of the day, anything can happen in the smartphone market, so it will be too early to say anything.