London, Boston, Toronto, New Delhi, Beijing, Taipei, Seoul – February 22, 2021

Smartphone shipments in the Netherlands, Denmark, and Finland showed positive QoQ growth in Q4 2020 largely thanks to strong demand for the Apple iPhone 12 series, even as some regions remained under partial lockdown, according to Counterpoint Research’s latest analysis of the European smartphone market. Out of the three markets in focus, the Netherlands proved to be the most resilient with 19% QoQ growth, followed by Finland and Denmark with 14% and 10% QoQ growth, respectively.

5G smartphone penetration reached more than 50% of total smartphone shipments in all three countries, higher than the European average. While the iPhone 12 was the most popular 5G smartphone, Samsung’s S20 and Note 20 series also did well. In the mid-tier segment ($250-$400), OnePlus’s Nord emerged as the highest-selling 5G Android smartphone in Finland and Denmark.

Market Analysis:

Finland

Finland’s market showed a QoQ growth of 14% and had the biggest quarter of 2020 in terms of smartphone shipments. Samsung was the largest OEM in Finland in Q3 but, despite a strong performance, it was overtaken by Apple in Q4. Apple and Samsung both had four models each in the top 10 models list. Although Apple enjoyed the top spot in Q4, the gap remains very close; Samsung could reclaim the position after the launch of its S21 series.

OnePlus strengthened its grip on the third position, thanks to the consistently strong performance across its portfolio, especially the OnePlus Nord, which became the highest-selling Android device in Finland this quarter and helped OnePlus become the leader of the $250-$400 price segment too.

Denmark

The Denmark market showed a decent QoQ growth of 10% in Q4 2020, even though it declined 30% YoY due to the lockdown in the second half of December and around the Christmas holiday period. Apple enjoyed a very strong quarter in Denmark – four out of the top five smartphones were made by Apple. Samsung held on to the second spot due to its strong mid-tier performance where it led the market in the $250-$400 price bands.

OnePlus continued its growth story in Denmark and ended Q4 2020 at its highest ever market share in the country. The OnePlus Nord also emerged as the most popular 5G Android device IN THE $250-$400 price band.

Xiaomi’s expansion also meant it surpassed Huawei for the first time in the Danish market and became the fourth biggest brand.

Netherlands

The Netherlands market showed a 19% QoQ growth, besides showing a modest 2% YoY growth. Samsung ended the quarter as the number one brand in the Dutch market, riding on the strong performance of its A-series. However, Apple was the best performer when it came to 5G smartphones.

OPPO was the third biggest brand in the Dutch market due to good performance of its Reno 4 series. OPPO ended Q4 with an impressive 123% YoY growth.

OnePlus was the fastest growing brand amongst top 10 brands in the Netherlands with more than 400% YoY growth in the country.

Background:

Counterpoint Technology Market Research is a global research firm specializing in products in the TMT (technology, media and telecom) industry. It services major technology and financial firms with a mix of monthly reports, customized projects and detailed analyses of the mobile and technology markets. Its key analysts are seasoned experts in the high-tech industry.