Smartphones in Europe: 2025 ends on a positive note, but 2026 looms

2025 ended with a sigh of relief for the smartphone sector in Europe. After months of uncertainty, the year’s final quarter recorded a timid but fundamental sign of recovery, with shipments up by 2% compared to the same period of the previous year.

This small leap forward was driven mainly by the strength of the big names such as Apple and Samsung, as well as the ongoing expansion of brands like Honor. Despite the general economic difficulties, the market has shown unexpected resilience, ending the year in positive territory.

The European market regains its footing: who wins and who loses, but above all the shadow of the chip crisis looms

Analyzing the players this season, Apple remains the absolute queen of the European market with a 33% share. The success of the Cupertino company was driven by the strong reception of the iPhone 17 series, which registered particularly high demand in Eastern Europe, bringing the brand’s overall shipments to grow by 7%.

In second place we find Samsung, which holds 29% and celebrates a 4% recovery. The real surprise, however, is Honor: the brand continues its ascent in Western Europe with an impressive 18% jump in shipments, confirming a golden moment that has lasted for almost two years.

Xiaomi had a somewhat more challenging quarter, recording a 6% drop. The main reason seems to be tied to the 15T series, which failed to replicate the success of the previous 14T.

Even more challenging is the situation for Realme, which saw its shipments plunge by 21% in an environment where the OPPO group (which also includes OnePlus) continues to struggle to find stability in the region.

However, the bigger concerns concern the future. Counterpoint analysts warn that there are serious problems on the horizon for 2026. The culprit is the memory chip crisis, which will lead to an inevitable increase in production costs.

This will almost certainly translate into a price hike, hitting budget smartphones especially, where margins are already razor-thin. The expected result is a sharp slowdown in global demand for 2026.