San Francisco, Dec 22 (DPA) More than 1.5 million Windows Phone 7 devices have been sold in the six weeks since the smartphone went on the market, Microsoft announced Monday.

While far from the 300,000 daily activations attributed to the iPhone and phones powered by Google's Android operating system, the Windows Phone sales figures met the company's "realistic expectations", Microsoft executive Achim Berg said in a web posting.

The phone is seen as Microsoft's attempt to get its foot in the door of the smartphone market after years in which the technology giant was eclipsed by Google, Apple and RIM's Blackberry.

Devices running Windows Phone 7 software are currently made by HTC, Dell, Samsung and LG and have been well reviewed by analysts.

"We all know that the competition is extreme in this industry, and we have to compete on multiple fronts," said Berg, vice president of business and marketing for Windows Phones.

"We are on a path to begin releasing the first of several updates in the next couple of months, and several more mobile operators around the world will introduce Windows Phone 7 on their network in 2011."