Recent Counterpoint Research indicated that Europe smartphone market share shifted in Q2 2026, shipments fell 10% year over year to 35 million units, while Apple gained ground to match Samsung at 34% amid higher component costs, inflation and weaker demand.
The downturn is becoming more than a temporary sales problem. Rising memory costs, fewer promotions and tighter household budgets are changing which devices Europeans buy and which manufacturers can compete.
Premium brands are proving more resilient, while companies that depend heavily on cheaper Android phones are facing growing pressure.
Apple and Samsung Pull Away from Rivals
Counterpoint’s figures show the European smartphone market recorded its weakest second-quarter shipment level in three years. Economic uncertainty across the region has encouraged consumers to keep their existing phones longer, delaying upgrades that manufacturers once relied on for steady sales.
Apple was the biggest winner in the Europe smartphone market share, gaining nine percentage points compared with Q2 2025. The company reached 34%, putting it level with Samsung and narrowing a gap that had historically kept the iPhone behind its South Korean rival in Europe.
The change is especially significant for the EU iPhone market, where Apple has managed to strengthen demand even as the wider industry contracts. Strong interest in the iPhone 17 series and Apple’s ability to maintain its premium position helped protect it from the deeper declines affecting several competitors.
“It continues to be a very challenging time for the Europen smartphone market,” associate Director Jan Stryjak said. “An uncertain financial outlook across much of the region means consumers remain hesitant to make discretionary purchases, which is not being helped by the widespread lack of promotions as manufacturers looked to protect margins.”
Samsung also remained strong across the EU smartphone sector. Demand for its Galaxy S26 devices and improved product availability helped the company maintain its 34% position, even as the wider European market continued to decline.
For consumers comparing the best European smartphones, the market is increasingly being shaped by premium devices rather than large numbers of cheaper models. Apple and Samsung can rely on established supply chains, strong brands, and higher-margin products when manufacturing costs increase.
Chinese manufacturers, however, lost ground. Xiaomi fell to 15%, OPPO dropped to 4%, and Honor reached 3%. The shift in the Android smartphone market share in Europe shows how difficult conditions have become for brands compete strongly in entry-level and mid-range categories.
Memory Costs Put Budget Phones Under Pressure
Technology supply constraints are playing a major role in the changing Europe smartphone market share. Growing demand from artificial intelligence data centers has increased competition for advanced memory production, while smartphone manufacturers are dealing with higher DRAM and NAND costs.
The pressure is particularly visible across the EU smartphone supply chain. Chipmakers can earn more from memory used in AI servers, encouraging them to prioritize those products and leaving consumer electronics companies competing for tighter supplies.
That shortage is affecting the Europe smartphone shipment picture because manufacturers have less room to absorb higher component costs. Some companies are reducing promotions, changing phone configurations, or cutting low-margin products instead of selling devices at prices that could hurt profitability.
Stryjak noted that Western Europe performed better than Eastern Europe, where lower-priced categories were hit hardest. That difference could further reshape the European smartphone market if affordable devices become less available or significantly more expensive.
The trend also changes what consumers may consider the best European smartphones. Instead of choosing purely on price, buyers may increasingly look for devices they can keep for several years, placing more value on software support, battery life and long-term performance.
Within the EU Samsung community, that may help Samsung defend its position through a broad Galaxy ecosystem that ranges from premium flagship phones to more affordable models, even as rising costs make maintaining that range more difficult.
Apple’s position in the EU iPhone market could prove even stronger if budget Android manufacturers continue cutting models. Its record global smartphone revenue share of 49% in Q2 suggests the company can generate more money from fewer, higher-priced devices.
Counterpoint expects the pressure to continue.
“With inventory running dry across Europe, we expect further declines over the next few quarters, especially for lower-end players. Apple remains a bright spot though, and we forecast it to continue to significantly outperform the rest of the market for the forseeable future,” Stryjak said.
The wider Europe smartphone market is therefore entering a period where supply management could matter almost as much as product design. Brands need access to components while keeping prices reasonable enough to persuade cautious consumers to upgrade.
For the Europe smartphone market share, Apple reaching Samsung is not simply another quarterly ranking. It points to a deeper shift.
As smartphones become more expensive to build and consumers replace them less often, premium brands with stronger margins and supply relationships may have the clearest advantage.
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