iPhone sales in Europe grew during the last quarter of 2023 and overtook Samsung in the process for the top-selling spot in the continent, according to new research collected and shared by Canalys.
iPhone sales in Europe grew by 1 percent to reach 12.4 million units during Q4 2023, the research reports. In contrast, Samsung sales shrank by as much as 12 percent during the same period, dropping to 10.8 million units. Despite Samsung being the largest overall vendor during 2023, Apple shipped the most smartphone units of any OEM during the last three months of 2023 for the first time in nearly two years or seven quarters.
The iPhone market share in Europe stood at 33 percent during the last quarter, narrowly edging out Samsung which now stands at 28 percent. Xiaomi came in third with a 16 percent market share, while Motorola and HONOR claimed the fourth and fifth spot respectively.
Apple was able to register growth in iPhone shipments despite the market as a whole shrinking in Europe, Canalys research suggests. The reported growth in iPhone sales came against the backdrop of a 3 percent year-over-year decline in the overall European smartphone market, reaching 37.8 million units. Total smartphone sales for the entirety of 2023 also reported a drop of 8 percent compared to 2022, Canalys adds.
Sales of premium smartphone models priced above $800 continue to dominate Europe and grew during Q3 2023. They represented 40 percent of total European sales, with iPhone sales claiming a staggering 77 percent of that share over what Canalys describes as strong demand for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max across the continent.
The report should paint a positive picture for Apple over iPhone sales after concerns of weak demand in China over the surprising resurgence of Huawei. Today’s numbers reiterate a strong sales momentum for the iPhone 15 as suggested by Apple’s fiscal Q1 2024 results, where the iPhone sector generated $69.7 billion in revenue.
