Windows Phone sales in the past have not been very promising for Microsoft. However, with new Windows Phone 8 devices out, it seems things may finally be looking up for Microsoft.

On Wednesday, Nov. 28, Microsoft held a meeting with its shareholders and disclosed that Windows Phone 8 devices had met with a positive response since launch and were generating high sales for the company.

According to Steve Ballmer, Windows Phone based handset sales this month is 300 percent higher than the same period in 2011. However, Ballmer didn't specify the exact number of devices sold, which would have given everyone an indication of how Windows Phone 8 devices are performing in the market.

An analyst from Gartner estimated that in the fourth quarter of 2011, Microsoft managed to only sell 2.8 million Windows Phone devices. With the increase of 300 percent this time around, fourth quarter 2012 sales could be over 11 million devices sold. This figure wouldn't be surprising, since Windows Phone 8 devices have been doing better at retail than its predecessors.

Recently, it was announced that Nokia had shipped 2.5 million Lumia 920 Windows Phone 8 devices to retailers, most of which have already sold out. With Nokia gaining some early success with its first batch of Windows Phone 8 devices, Microsoft could possibly hit that 11 million mark for the fourth quarter.

HTC, the only other OEM with Windows Phone 8 devices out in the market, has not said anything about its numbers. Going up against Nokia is not an easy task, however, the HTC 8X is a formidable handset that is more than capable of standing neck and neck with the Lumia 920, and it's cheaper too. The other WP8 handset - Samsung's ATIV S - is yet to hit the shelves even though some carriers like Rogers in Canada are taking online reservations for the smartphone.