Europe’s smartphone market hit a three-year low in the second quarter of 2026, with deliveries dropping 10 percent to 35 million units. Amid rising component costs and economic uncertainty, Apple and Samsung each captured 34 percent of the market, squeezing Chinese manufacturers out of key regions.
According to data published by Counterpoint Research, the second quarter of 2026 delivered 35 million smartphones across Europe, representing a 10 percent decline compared to the same period in 2025. Market analysts note that this volume marks the weakest second-quarter performance the European market has endured since 2023.
Market Polarization: Apple and Samsung Control 68 Percent of Europe
While the overall market contracted sharply, the turbulence favored the industry’s two largest giants. Both Apple and Samsung expanded their footprints dramatically, collectively seizing 68 percent of all European smartphone shipments in the second quarter, up from 56 percent during the corresponding months in 2025. Samsung grew by 3 percent to reach a 34 percent market share, while Apple surged by 9 percent to land at an identical 34 percent, bringing the two rivals to a dead heat.
Behind that duopoly, Chinese brands faced steep declines. Xiaomi dropped from 19 percent to 15 percent, Oppo fell from 6 percent to 4 percent, and Honor slipped from 4 percent to 3 percent.
Component Crises and Regional Divergence in Western and Eastern Europe
Market researchers trace the widespread downturn to escalating memory chip shortages, military conflicts such as the war involving the United States and Iran, and general inflation. Manufacturers have curtailed promotional discounts and passed higher component costs directly to buyers in an effort to protect their profit margins.
The contraction, however, hit different parts of the continent unevenly. Western Europe weathered the quarter better than anticipated, cushioned by robust demand for higher-priced devices and strong results from Apple. Eastern Europe suffered a far more severe blow due to heavy reliance on affordable phones, which bore the brunt of the regional economic pressure and tighter consumer spending.
Jan Stryjak, Associate Director at Counterpoint Research, stated that it continues to be a very difficult period for the European smartphone market, noting that uncertain financial prospects across much of the region make consumers hesitate regarding non-essential purchases, while the widespread lack of promotions as manufacturers try to protect their margins does not help, though in the second quarter of 2026 the situation was relatively better in Western Europe, where a very strong quarter for Apple and marginal growth for Samsung mitigated the decline.
Global Supply Chains and the Premium Pricing Pressure
Globally, Counterpoint Research forecasts that Samsung will reclaim the worldwide smartphone crown in 2026, projecting a 0.8 percent increase in shipments despite an expected 14.3 percent overall global decline. Samsung’s vertically integrated supply chain and mature distribution networks insulate it from component price spikes better than its competitors.
The Foldable Market Faces an Apple-Driven Shift
Looking toward the autumn, the impending arrival of Apple’s anticipated foldable device is projected to alter the high-end hardware landscape. Industry forecasts indicate that foldable phone prices could climb by 18 percent this year, driven partly by the high retail expectations surrounding the new Apple model.
While book-style foldables grow increasingly expensive, market analysts expect clamshell alternatives to drift downward in price, bringing them closer to premium bar-type smartphone alternatives. For Samsung executives, the entry of new competition into the folding category remains welcome, even if it resets consumer price expectations upward across the board.
