According to the latest report from Counterpoint Research, European smartphone shipments in the second quarter of 2023 fell by 12% year-on-year, the lowest quarterly shipments since the first quarter of 2012.
A Counterpoint analysis shows that due to patent disputes and uncertainties in several countries, OPPO will face difficulties in the second quarter of 2023, resulting in a year-on-year decrease in shipments of 51%. If this uncertainty continues, OPPO shipments will continue to decline in the coming quarters. In addition, mainly due to the impact of Russia, realme's shipments increased by 12% year-on-year, accounting for 55% of the brand's shipments in the region, and realme has maintained its second position in Russia for five consecutive quarters.
European market share of some brands in the second quarter of 2023
Samsung's share was 33%, compared to 31% in the same period last year, and shipments were down 8% compared to the same period last year
Apple's share was 23%, down from 25% in the same period last year, and shipments were down 21% compared to the same period last year
Xiaomi's share was 20%, compared to 19% in the same period last year, and shipments were down 9% year-on-year
Realme's share was 4%, compared to 3% in the same period last year, and deliveries increased by 12% compared to the same period last year
OPPO's share was 3%, down from 5% in the same period last year, and shipments were down 51% compared to the same period last year
The share of other brand mobile phones was 18%, compared to 16% in the same period last year, while shipments decreased by 14% year-on-year
European smartphone shipments, 2012 Q2 - 2023 Q2
Commenting on the outlook for the mobile phone market, Jan Stryjak, Deputy Director at Counterpoint, said, "It is unlikely that the market will fully recover this year. Smartphone shipments will be lower in 2023 than in 2022, which will be the lowest in 10 years. Despite the economic conditions, this is partly due to this, but consumer buying habits are also changing, meaning lower sales will be the new normal. However, even if overall shipments are low, Apple's next-generation iPhone and Samsung's foldable-screen mobile phones are still expected to perform well in the market, leading to a pick-up in volume in the coming quarters."
Western Europe declined by 14% year-on-year during the quarter, while Eastern Europe limited the decline to 8% year-on-year, despite being in a battered state. All major European nations performed weakly in Q2 2023, except Russia, which by contrast posted an annual increase of 4%. However, this was mainly due to the second quarter of 2022, the first full quarter after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the resulting sanctions and market exit of big-name smartphone players.
