Europe Smartphone Shipments Drop 10% YoY in Q2 2026 to Hit Three-year Low
- European smartphone shipments declined by 10% YoY in Q2 2026 to reach 35 million units, the region’s lowest total for a second quarter since Q2 2023.
- Component cost hikes resulted in higher final device prices and scaling back of promotions as manufacturers looked to protect margins, while a challenging macro climate weakened consumer demand compared to the same period last year.
- Western Europe performed better than expected in Q2 2026, fuelled by a very impressive quarter by Apple and marginal growth by Samsung, both of which benefitted from the ongoing premiumisation trend. Eastern Europe, however, with greater reliance on lower-end devices from Chinese OEMs, suffered a significant decline as budget segments were squeezed.
- With inventory running dry across Europe, we expect further declines over the next few quarters, especially for lower-end players. Apple remains a bright spot and we forecast it to continue to significantly outperform the market for the foreseeable future.
London, Berlin, Beijing, Buenos Aires, Fort Collins, Hong Kong, New Delhi, Seoul, Taipei, Tokyo – August 19, 2026
Europe’s smartphone market took a further tumble in Q2 2026 with shipments falling 10% YoY to 35 million units, the region’s weakest second-quarter tally in three years, according to Counterpoint Research’s Q2 2026 Smartphone Market Monitor. Component cost hikes resulted in higher final device prices and scaling back of promotions. Meanwhile, a challenging macro climate, exacerbated by the Iran War, which resulted in spiralling inflation, meant consumer demand was weak compared to the same period last year
Europe Smartphone Shipments Share by OEM, Q2 2025 vs Q2 2026
Note: OPPO includes OnePlus and realme. Percentage totals may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
Associate Director Jan Stryjak said, “It continues to be a very challenging time for the Europen smartphone market. An uncertain financial outlook across much of the region means consumers remain hesitant to make discretionary purchases, which is not being helped by the widespread lack of promotions as manufacturers looked to protect margins. In Q2 2026, things were relatively better in Western Europe where a very impressive quarter by Apple and marginal growth by Samsung softened the drop, although Eastern Europe suffered a significant decline as budget segments were squeezed and most Chinese OEMs struggled.”
Stryjak added, “With inventory running dry across Europe, we expect further declines over the next few quarters, especially for lower-end players. Apple remains a bright spot though, and we forecast it to continue to significantly outperform the rest of the market for the forseeable future.”
About Counterpoint Research
Counterpoint Research is a global market research firm specializing in products across the technology ecosystem. We advise a diverse range of clients – from smartphone OEMs to chipmakers and channel players to Big Tech – through our offices located in the world's major innovation hubs, manufacturing clusters and commercial centers. Our analyst team, led by seasoned experts, engages with stakeholders across the enterprise – from the C-suite to professionals in strategy, analyst relations (AR), market intelligence (MI), business intelligence (BI), product and marketing – to deliver services spanning market data, industry thought leadership and consulting. Our core areas of coverage include AI, Automotive, Consumer Electronics, Displays, eSIM, IoT, Location Platforms, Macroeconomics, Manufacturing, Networks and Infrastructure, Semiconductors, Smartphones and Wearables. Visit our Insights page to explore our publicly available market data, insights and thought leadership, and to understand our focus, meet our analysts and start a conversation.
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Author
Jan Stryjak
Jan is an Associate Director with Counterpoint Research, based in London, and leads the company’s European and Sustainability research. He is a seasoned analyst with over 17 years’ experience in the TMT sector, previously with GSMA Intelligence where he led a team of analysts producing highly impactful regional insights. Before that, Jan held strategy and analyst positions at Vodafone UK and Qualcomm respectively, and started his career with research firm TNS (now Kantar).