The European smartphone market suffered a sharp contraction in Q3 2023, according to the latest report published by market research agency Counterpoint Research. Smartphone shipments in Europe fell 11% compared to the same period of the previous year, with a decline of 8% in Western Europe and 15% in Eastern Europe.
The European smartphone market drops by 11% in Q3 2023, Xiaomi confirms itself in third place, Honor grows
The report highlights that smartphone shipments in the third quarter of 2023 reached the lowest level since 2011, due to component shortages, weak demand and competition among Chinese phone makers.
Among the main players in the market, Samsung confirmed its first place with a 28% share, despite a 15% decrease in its shipments compared to the third quarter of 2022. The South Korean giant mitigated the decline thanks to the launch of its new foldable devices, which received good reception in the region.
Apple came in second place, with a 24% share and a slight 3% decline in its shipments. The bitten apple recorded its lowest level of third-quarter shipments since 2014, but could bounce back next quarter thanks to strong demand for the iPhone 15 series.
Third place went to Xiaomi, with a 22% share and a 13% drop in its shipments. The Chinese manufacturer maintained its leadership in Eastern Europe, with a 35% share, but lost ground in Western Europe, where it faced competition from other Asian brands.
Honor is the only growing brand
Among them, it stands out Honor, which was the only brand in the top five to record year-over-year growth, approaching the level before the separation from Huawei and entering the top five. Honor has performed well in Western Europe, where it has launched several models with Google services.
Another Chinese group that did well in Europe was Transsion, with its TECNO and Infinix brands, which saw their shipments increase by 192% and 518% respectively, with Russia as the main market for both. Transsion has leveraged its competitive advantage in the entry-level and low-mid segment by offering devices with good performance and large batteries.
Finally, OPPO showed a mixed performance in the region, with a 23% decrease in its shipments year-over-year. The brand had 27% growth in Eastern Europe, but faced more difficulties in Western Europe, where it had to compete with Samsung, Apple and Xiaomi.
The Counterpoint Research report predicts that the European smartphone market will recover in the fourth quarter of 2023, thanks to the launch of new models, the holiday season and the economic recovery.
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