Omdia: Apple and HONOR Claim Record Market Shares as Europe's Smartphone Shipment Dips 1% in 2025
MWN-AI** Summary
In 2025, the European smartphone market experienced a slight decline, with a total shipment of 134.2 million units, down by 1% compared to the previous year, according to Omdia's latest research. This downturn signifies a year marked by waning consumer demand and the introduction of new regulations surrounding eco-design and USB-C charging.
Despite the overall market contraction, Samsung retained its position as the largest smartphone vendor in Europe, with shipments rising marginally to 46.6 million units. The company rebounded after a slow start in the first half of the year, largely due to the successful release of the discounted Galaxy A16 model and strong sales of the Galaxy A56, which became the top-selling smartphone in Europe.
Apple also showed robust growth, increasing its shipments by 6% to 36.9 million units, resulting in a record 27% market share. This was driven by heightened interest in the iPhone 16 and its sub-models, particularly as older models were phased out due to regulatory changes.
Xiaomi remained third despite a slight decrease in shipments to 21.8 million units, while Motorola’s sales dipped to 7.7 million. Notably, HONOR climbed to the fifth position for the first time, growing 4% to 3.8 million units, emphasizing its focus on the cost-effective X-series to bolster market presence.
Analyst Runar Bjorhovde stated that while the leading vendors increased their market share, competition remains fierce, driving the need for differentiation. The 2026 outlook appears uncertain, especially regarding memory pricing and potential supply shortages, highlighting the complex dynamics of the European smartphone landscape.
MWN-AI** Analysis
In the context of Omdia's recent findings on the European smartphone market, where shipments declined by 1% in 2025, several insights are important for investors and businesses looking to navigate this landscape. Despite an overall shipment dip to 134.2 million units, Apple and HONOR have successfully carved out notable market shares. Apple reached a record 27% share with 36.9 million units, bolstered primarily by the iPhone 16 lineup. Meanwhile, HONOR entered the top five for the first time, highlighting the growing competition among budget-friendly alternatives.
Investors should pay close attention to the factors driving these shifts. Apple’s success underscores the power of brand loyalty and innovation, as it capitalized on demand for its latest models while adapting to regulatory changes. This agility suggests that investing in companies that prioritize R&D and consumer engagement could yield dividends, particularly in the premium segment.
On the other hand, HONOR’s rise, supported by its affordable X-series, indicates a shifting consumer preference toward value-driven options in a stagnating market. This trend presents opportunities for vendors focused on budget offerings, especially as the market remains competitive and price-sensitive.
The overall market dynamics point to a growing importance of differentiation among vendors. Companies that can establish a unique value proposition and effectively manage partnerships with sales channels will be better positioned for growth. With memory pricing and supply chain challenges anticipated in 2026, large vendors like Samsung and Apple may exhibit resilience due to their established scale and diverse offerings. However, smaller players could leverage niche strategies for long-term growth.
In summary, investors should consider a diversified portfolio that includes both premium and budget smartphone innovators, as well as those focused on strong customer engagement to mitigate risks in a fluctuating market environment.
**MWN-AI Summary and Analysis is based on asking OpenAI to summarize and analyze this news release.
The latest research from Omdia reveals that the European smartphone market declined by 1% in 2025 to 134.2 million units, marking the end of a disruptive year defined by subdued demand and new regulations requiring eco-design and USB-C.
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Europe (excluding Russia) smartphone market shipment, 2014 to 2025
Samsung remained Europe’s largest smartphone vendor, with shipments marginally growing to 46.6 million units. After a slow 1H25 caused by the absence of the Galaxy A0x series, Samsung bounced back in 2H25, particularly by leveraging a discounted version of the Galaxy A16 alongside strong momentum for the Galaxy A56, which was the top-selling model in Europe in 2025.
Apple grew 6% to 36.9 million in 2025, reaching a record-high 27% market share in Europe, as iPhone refresh demand surged, boosted by strong interest from both consumers and businesses. Its performance was particularly driven by iPhone 16, the Pro Max version of both iPhone 16 and iPhone 17, and iPhone 16e. Compared to other markets worldwide, iPhone 16e was among Apple’s top-shipping models, largely driven by it replacing iPhone 14 and earlier models, which were discontinued in late 2024 due to the USB-C regulation.
Xiaomi remained third in the ranking at 16% market share as it declined 1% to 21.8 million units, largely driven by its budget-friendly Redmi series. Towards the end of 2025, Xiaomi’s overseas expansion of the ‘new retail strategy’ reached Europe, highlighted by several Xiaomi Stores opening and the company’s wider ecosystem portfolio expanding.
Motorola remained fourth despite declining 5% to 7.7 million units. Its shipments dipped in 1H25 as demand remained subdued, but recovered with strong momentum in the second half, highlighted by double-digit growth in 4Q. Its resilient performance was driven by continued successful expansion in key markets, including Poland, Italy, Spain, and the UK.
HONOR climbed into Europe’s top five for the first time as it grew 4% to 3.8 million units, particularly by leveraging its affordable X-series. The higher X-series focus highlights an increased focus on growing share, presence and relevance within its key channel partners –helping to build a foundation to support its premium ambitions.
“Europe’s five largest smartphone vendors continued to gain combined share, reflecting the importance of scale for long-term success in the region,” commented Runar Bjorhovde, Senior Analyst at Omdia . “Even though shares continue to shift towards the largest players, fierce competition within the channel continues to reign across all markets, increasing the need to differentiate and understand how to most effectively capture customers. The fierce channel competition has also created a growing willingness amongst sales partners to introduce new vendors with attractive products and differentiated brands into their portfolios. Even though many vendors beyond the top 5 faced big hurdles last year, vivo, London-headquartered Nothing and Amsterdam-headquartered Fairphone grew by high double digits. These vendors are excellent examples that there are opportunities through strong differentiation even in such an established, mature and highly competitive region.”
“In 2026, concerns around memory pricing have created a challenging outlook. In Europe, which made up just 10.8% of all smartphones shipped worldwide in 2025, the biggest question is which vendors are most likely to prioritize the region if hit by price increases or supply shortages,” added Bjorhovde. “We expect the largest vendors to be more resilient due to their scale and price-band coverage. However, for many vendors, it will be critical to find the right balance between different regions and markets. Scaling a smartphone business within Europe can be very gradual and challenging, requiring consistent investment over time, making it very costly to scale back. Europe’s large premium segment makes it attractive to many vendors in the long-run alongside a less price-sensitive mass-market segment.”
“However, even in the face of short-term difficulties, capturing interest and demand from customers must be the top priority for all industry players. Both vendors and channel partners need to find key differentiation points, target core influence stages in the buying journey, and retain customers more effectively than ever before.”
Omdia’s analysts will be at Mobile World Congress 2026: Book a meeting or interview here to discuss these findings and more.
Europe (excl. Russia) smartphone shipments (market share and annual growth) Omdia Smartphone Market Pulse: 4Q25 | |||||
Vendor | 4Q25 | 4Q25 | 4Q24 | 4Q24 | Annual |
Apple | 13.4 | 34% | 12.7 | 33% | 6% |
Samsung | 12.4 | 31% | 11.2 | 29% | 10% |
Xiaomi | 5.5 | 14% | 5.9 | 15% | -7% |
Motorola | 2.5 | 6% | 2.2 | 6% | 13% |
HONOR | 1.3 | 3% | 1.0 | 3% | 24% |
Others | 4.7 | 12% | 5.8 | 14% | -17% |
Total | 39.8 | 100% | 38.8 | 100% | 3% |
Note: Xiaomi includes Redmi and POCO. |
Europe (excl. Russia) smartphone shipments (market share and annual growth) Omdia Smartphone Market Pulse: 2025 | |||||
Vendor | 2025 | 2025 | 2024 | 2024 | Annual |
Samsung | 46.6 | 35% | 46.4 | 34% | 0% |
Apple | 36.9 | 27% | 34.9 | 26% | 6% |
Xiaomi | 21.8 | 16% | 22.2 | 16% | -1% |
Motorola | 7.7 | 6% | 8.0 | 6% | -5% |
HONOR | 3.8 | 3% | 3.7 | 3% | 4% |
Others | 17.4 | 13% | 20.9 | 15% | -17% |
Total | 134.2 | 100% | 136.1 | 100% | -1% |
Note: Xiaomi includes Redmi and POCO. |
ABOUT OMDIA
Omdia , part of TechTarget, Inc. d/b/a Informa TechTarget (Nasdaq: TTGT), is a technology research and advisory group. Our deep knowledge of tech markets grounded in real conversations with industry leaders and hundreds of thousands of data points, make our market intelligence our clients’ strategic advantage. From R&D to ROI, we identify the greatest opportunities and move the industry forward.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260223432918/en/
Fasiha Khan: fasiha.khan@omdia.com
Eric Thoo: eric.thoo@omdia.com
FAQ**
How has the decline of in the European smartphone market in 2025 impacted the strategic positioning of leading vendors like Samsung and Apple, and what role does TechTarget Inc. TTGT foresee in their recovery strategies?
Considering that Apple reached a record-high market share of 27% in 2025, what innovative approaches do you believe TechTarget Inc. TTGT could suggest for Nokia and Motorola to enhance their competitive edge in a saturated market?
With Omdia highlighting the importance of scale for long-term success in Europe, how can smaller vendors leverage insights from TechTarget Inc. TTGT to innovate and differentiate themselves against larger competitors?
As the smartphone landscape faces anticipated challenges in 2026, what proactive measures can vendors adopt based on TechTarget Inc. TTGT’s insights to mitigate potential supply shortages and price increases in the European market?
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