Samsung keeps its lead in Europe while Apple closes the gap

Samsung is the leading smartphone vendor in the world and that means it leads in many regions. It has done so for several years in a row, particularly in important markets like Europe.

The latest figures from a market research firm show that Samsung held on to its top spot in Europe last year even as Apple saw decent growth that helped it close the gap with the Korean giant.

According to Omdia's latest research, Samsung shipped 46.6 million units in markets across Europe, excluding Russia, last year. It was only a marginal improvement over the 46.4 million units shipped in 2024.

On the other hand, Apple saw its shipments in Europe jump to 36.9 million units, a 6% growth over the 34.9 million units shipped in 2024. Based on these figures, Samsung and Apple accounted for 35% and 27% of the market last year , respectively.

Samsung reportedly saw muted performance in the first half of last year due to a lack of new low-end models. The company rectified that in the second half with a discounted version of the Galaxy A16 as well as strong momentum for the Galaxy A56, which remained Europe's top-selling phone over all.

Apple saw increased demand for the iPhone from both individuals and businesses, particularly for the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 17 Pro Max. The iPhone 16e also did well in Europe as it was among Apple's top-selling models in the region.