Credit: Eric Zeman / Android Authority
Samsung and Apple remained the biggest smartphone makers in Europe in 2020 despite lower shipments, third-largest Xiaomi was the biggest winner in 2020, and Huawei continued to slide across the continent.
The European smartphone market slowed markedly in 2020 due to the ongoing pandemic, but there has been notable performance on the continent despite the downturn. According to a report from Counterpoint, Xiaomi and Oppo have taken full advantage of Samsung’s slowdown and Huawei’s continued struggles.
Overall, 2020 has been a dismal year for the industry. Shipments to Europe were down 14% in 2020 from the previous year, due to long lockdowns and stifled economic activity.
Samsung: shipments decrease, market share increases
At the top of the market, Samsung and Apple managed to keep the sway going but both failed to take full advantage of Huawei’s recession. The companies increased their cumulative market share in the region to 54%.
Echoing the results of the global market, Samsung ended 2020 as Europe’s largest smartphone maker, despite shipping 12% fewer devices compared to the previous year. Counterpoint owes this sluggish growth to the poor sales performance of the Galaxy S20 series and the launch of Apple’s first 5G range. Samsung nevertheless increased its market share by one percentage point to 32%.
Apple, which finished the last quarter of 2020 leading Samsung in shipments, settled for second place overall. Its annual growth only decreased by 1% thanks to the performance of the iPhone 12 range.
Xiaomi and Oppo enter the Huawei vacuum
Credit: Ryan-Thomas Shaw / Android Authority
The real winner in 2020 was Xiaomi. Taking advantage of Huawei’s downfall, Xiaomi is now the third largest smartphone maker in the region. It almost doubled its quota of smartphone shipments in 2019 with strong sales in Spain and Italy, by contrast. Its performance allowed Huawei to return to fourth place. Huawei’s shipments fell 43% year over year, increasing its market share from 19% in 2019 to 12% in 2020.
Loading the survey
Finally, a BBK Electronics trio supports the European smartphone market. Oppo remains the biggest BBK brand in Europe. It saw an 82% increase in shipments in 2020 compared to 2019, which brought its market share to 4% in 2020.
Realme, seventh, was an outstanding artist. It saw an increase in shipments in 2020 with an almost eleven-fold increase from 2019 – its launch year in the region. It only shipped 600,000 units less than OnePlus, which grew only 5% during 2020. It looks like the company’s fierce European rollout plan is paying off.
And 2021?
Realme has a good chance of gaining market share this year. The company is set to release what could be the cheapest Snapdragon 888 phone in the form of the Realme GT. OnePlus will also look to stave off its sister brand with the OnePlus 9 series.
Despite its 2020 troubles, Samsung’s outlook looks brighter this year. The Galaxy S21 series would fare better in Korea than its predecessor. Apple will likely not release the successor to the iPhone 12 until later this year.
As for Huawei, its position is unlikely to improve, especially as its rivals continue to flood the market at all costs. But which company do you think will benefit the most from Huawei’s woes? Be sure to vote in the poll above!
–
