European Smartphone Market Ends 2025 with a Rise in Shipments

Europe’s smartphone market ended the year on a high, with shipments up 2% YoY in 4Q25, according to Counterpoint Research. This was built on solid YoY growth in 4Q24, driven by strong quarters for Apple, Samsung, and HONOR.

Apple benefited from robust demand for the iPhone 17 series and strong growth in Eastern Europe, Samsung recovered from a relatively poor 4Q24, and HONOR’s momentum of the last 18-24 months continued, especially in Western Europe. Conversely, Xiaomi was slightly down YoY as the 15T series couldn’t quite match the performance of the popular 14T, while the OPPO family (including realme and OnePlus) continued to struggle in the region.

“Despite the ongoing macro headwinds across Europe, 2025 was a reasonable year for smartphone shipments, and the year ended relatively strongly. Apple and Samsung both showed good growth, while HONOR, Motorola, and Google continued their expansion across the region. However, the positive news ends there. There is trouble on the horizon, with memory price rises expected to cause a significant downturn in 2026. Lower price tiers will face the biggest challenges, but overall shipments will nevertheless suffer significant YoY declines over the next few quarters,” said Jan Stryjak, Associate Director at Counterpoint Research.