With the launch of a new iPhone, Apple has a habit of being the leader in the last quarter of the year. But now that 2024 is in full swing, Samsung has regained its place as leader of the European smartphone market in the 1st quarter of 2024.
According to the most recent figures from Counterpoint Research, the South Korean company recorded a 7% increase in shipments compared to the same period of the previous year. As for Apple, it suffered a slight drop of 1%.
Smartphone market share by shipments, Q1 2024 vs Q1 2023. Credit: Counterpoint Research
Galaxy S24 highlighted in Samsung's recovery
Samsung's return to the top was driven by the success of the Galaxy S24 series. These smartphones featured artificial intelligence, which seems to have been well received by consumers. The company also launched the new A35 and A55 smartphones at the end of the quarter. But these should only stand out in the 2nd quarter.
Apple, on the other hand, saw iPhone 15 sales decline due to seasonality. There is no forecast for the launch of an iPhone SE in 2024. Therefore, the company expects shipments to continue to fall until the arrival of the iPhone 16 in September.
Honor is the surprise in the top 5. Oppo out
In addition to Samsung and Apple, Chinese brands are in the spotlight. Xiaomi recorded an 11% growth in shipments, while Realme increased 59%. Honor is the one with the most significant growth, with an increase of 67%. It even surpassed Oppo and took fifth place in Europe for the first time.
Honor Magic6 Pro (left) next to the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (right)
Counterpoint states that the European smartphone market is still well below pre-pandemic levels. The recovery is still fragile and the road to returning to 2019 levels could be long.
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