OnePlus, Xiaomi Shine in Finland, Netherlands and Denmark Smartphone Market

The European smartphone market is on the road to recovery, growing 6% annually in 1Q21 after a year hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Counterpoint Research. Their latest analysis shows encouraging signs for the smartphone markets in Finland, Denmark, and the Netherlands, all of which registered a good start to 2021, aided by a decrease in COVID-19 cases, easing of restrictions, and increasing consumer confidence.

The smartphone markets in Finland and the Netherlands grew 28% and 14% YoY respectively, while the market in Denmark declined 17% during the same period. Samsung led in all three markets, with its strategy to launch the Galaxy S21 series earlier than usual this year proving to be fruitful. Samsung held more than 35% volume share in Finland and Denmark, and over 50% in the Netherlands.

All three markets saw increased ASPs (average selling prices) compared to Q1 2020. The iPhone 12’s strong consumer demand, Samsung S21 series’ early launch, and the arrival of new 5G phones from the likes of Xiaomi and OnePlus helped drive the increase in ASPs. Volume and ASP growth are a big indicator of rising consumer confidence.

“Despite the challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on the European smartphone market, OnePlus has firmly established itself as a top-five vendor in Europe, doing particularly well across the Nordics. With the latest OnePlus, 9 flagship looking to build on the success of the Nord, OnePlus’ diverse portfolio puts it in a good position to continue its strong growth across the region,“ said Jan Stryjak, associate director at Counterpoint Research.

The Finnish market grew 28%, faster than both Denmark and the Netherlands. Samsung bounced back to lead the market in this quarter after falling behind Apple in 4Q20. This was also the South Korean brand’s highest market share in the country since 1Q20. Apple also continued its good performance, even though it slipped to the second position in the market. Xiaomi and OnePlus were the fastest-growing brands.

In terms of the highest-selling models, the iPhone 12 retained the top position overall while the OnePlus Nord took the top spot for Android phones. In the affordable premium category ($400-$599 wholesale), the OnePlus 8 series’s great performance has cemented OnePlus as the leader for the last 3 quarters. OnePlus has diversified its product portfolio in the last year. Due to its more diversified products, OnePlus was able to grow 100% overall and become the 2nd biggest brand in the mid-range price category ($200-$299 wholesale).

The Dutch market grew 14%. The most important point to note in the market was the increase in ASP over the last five quarters. The ASP has grown by 19% from 4Q20 thanks to the strong performance of flagship models of Apple and Samsung. Nine out of the top ten shipped models were Apple and Samsung flagships. Samsung continued to lead the market, having done so for five consecutive quarters, and surpassing 50% market share twice in that period. Apple continued to be the second biggest behind OEM followed by Xiaomi, OPPO, and OnePlus in the top 5. Another highlight from the Netherlands’ market analysis is the democratization of 5G smartphones in the country, with penetration surpassing 60% for the first time.

The Danish smartphone market declined 10% QoQ. Denmark being a market traditionally dominated by Apple, this decline was largely expected given Apple’s seasonality and Q4 launch schedule. In the same time frame last year, the market had declined 19% QoQ. However, in a reversal of Apple’s traditional dominance, Samsung led the market in 1Q21. Huawei’s decline also helped Samsung increase its share. OnePlus, Xiaomi and Nokia also increased their shipments compared to Q1 2020. OnePlus’ performance was especially noteworthy: shipments grew by more than 200% YoY, resulting in OnePlus becoming the third biggest brand in mid-price, affordable premium, and premium categories.