Apple reclaims top spot ahead of Samsung in European smartphone sales

According to reported data, Apple has regained the top position from Samsung in the European smartphone rankings.

Market research provider Canalys shows Apple is at the summit after the 2023 holiday season reporting, with Samsung trailing behind.

Canalys analyst Runar Bjørhovde said, “High-end smartphones took a record share of the European market in Q4 2023. Almost 40% of smartphone shipments were priced at US$800 or higher.”

Samsung dethroned

As reported last month, Samsung lost its place at the top of the cellular pecking order in 2023, where a reported 1.17 billion smartphones were sold.

This ended a decade of dominance for the South Korean technology giant as Apple took the global crown after being second fiddle since 2010.

The world’s smartphone market was recorded to be down 3.2% in 2023, but Apple maintained marginal year-on-year growth of 1% to 12.4 million units in Q4 of 2023, but Samsung’s results continued to dip.

Bjørhovde continued, “The dominance of the high-end was mainly fuelled by strong iPhone 15 Pro demand alongside consistent Galaxy S-series volumes and a growing Google Pixel. Looking ahead, Apple will aim to capitalize on the impending refresh cycle. This includes exploring new routes to market to enable consumers to buy iPhones, such as the bank-as-a-channel approach co-piloted with Santander in Spain.”

Samsung would record a 12% drop, showing year-on-year decline of growth in the European smartphone market, but would remain the largest vendor of devices in the region.

The S-Series and A-Series of cell phones would contribute steadily to Samsung’s sales but only served as a staple of the company’s expected returns.

”In Samsung’s case, the premium S-series and foldable devices remain a priority, seeking to test a service-based subscription model,” Bjørhovde concluded with his thoughts on the vendor’s projected performance going forward.

Artificial intelligence to play a part in future cellular sales

Looking ahead to the future of the European smartphone market and artificial intelligence’s emergence in device features, Bjørhovde said that “in the long run, vendors will increase focus on the on-device user experience with AI at the core, emphasizing personalization, ecosystem interaction, productivity, and entertainment.”

”AI integration in smartphones will continue to advance steadily and is currently serving as a pivotal R&D-driven feature crucial to maintaining long-term competitiveness. Even so, vendors must educate consumers about maximizing the power of on-device AI features to achieve strong returns on their investments.”

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