Market research firm Canalys published an analysis of Europe’s smartphone shipments in Q4 2022 and for the full calendar year. The reports highlight changing market share dynamics amid a period of declining volumes.
Apple Takes First Place in Q4
In Europe, Apple shipped 12.4 million iPhones in Q4 to capture a leading 33% market share. This represented just 1% annual growth, but was enough to surpass Samsung as the quarter’s top vendor. Fueled by iPhone 15 series demand, nearly 40% of Europe’s smartphones shipped in Q4 cost over $800.
Samsung saw larger declines at -12% annually, shipping 10.8 million units as several models flopped. Xiaomi also dropped 10% to 6 million shipments and 16% share.
| Company | Q4 2023 Shipments (in million) | Q4 2023 Market Share | Q4 2022 Shipments (in million) | Q4 2022 Market Share | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple | 12.4 | 33% | 12.2 | 31% | 1% |
| Samsung | 10.8 | 28% | 12.3 | 32% | -12% |
| Xiaomi | 6.0 | 16% | 6.6 | 17% | -10% |
| Motorola | 2.0 | 5% | 1.2 | 3% | 73% |
| Honor | 1.1 | 3% | 0.5 | 1% | 116% |
| Others | 5.5 | 15% | 6.1 | 16% | -8% |
| Total | 37.8 | 100% | 38.9 | 100% | -3% |
First Full Year Contraction Since 2020
For the 2022 calendar year, smartphone vendors shipped 129.8 million devices to Europe – an 8% year-over-year contraction marking the first decline since 2020. Economic challenges led consumers to reduce spending and hold onto devices longer before upgrading.
ALSO READ: Canalys: Smartphone Shipments in Middle East Surge 24% in Q4 2022
Samsung maintained first place with 43.7 million shipments, though still down 11%. Apple took second at 34.6 million. Most major vendors lost share aside from Motorola, Honor and niche players.
Here’s the provided data arranged into a table:
| Company | 2023 Shipments (in million) | 2023 Market Share | 2022 Shipments (in million) | 2022 Market Share | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung | 43.7 | 34% | 48.9 | 35% | -11% |
| Apple | 34.6 | 27% | 36.2 | 26% | -4% |
| Xiaomi | 22.2 | 17% | 24.7 | 18% | -10% |
| Motorola | 6.4 | 5% | 4.7 | 3% | 34% |
| Oppo | 3.7 | 3% | 6.7 | 5% | -45% |
| Others | 19.2 | 15% | 19.6 | 14% | -2% |
| Total | 129.8 | 100% | 140.8 | 100% | -8% |
Outlook Points to 2024 Rebound
Canalys predicts Europe’s smartphone market will return to modest single-digit expansion in 2024 amid a coming wave of upgrade demand. Vendors are also increasing focus on AI-driven personalization and user experiences to spur new purchases. Successfully educating consumers on unlocking the capabilities of on-device AI will be important.
The competitive landscape may also shift as smaller brands gain share at the expense of struggling incumbents like Samsung and Xiaomi according to Canalys.