According to Canalys, Apple emerged as the top-selling smartphone brand in Europe for Q4 of 2023. This achievement was driven by the high demand for the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max during the holiday season. However, Samsung maintained the lead position for the entire year of 2023.
The total market witnessed 129.8 million shipments for the calendar year, marking an 8% decline from the 140.8 million units in 2022. Canalys anticipated that Europe will experience single-digit growth in the coming year due to the anticipated refresh cycle of devices purchased during the pandemic.
In Q4 of 2023, high-end smartphones captured a record share of the entire European market. Runar Bjorhovde, an analyst at Canalys, mentioned that close to 40% of all shipments were for phones priced at $800 or more, with three out of every four devices being an iPhone, followed by Samsung with a mere 16% share.
While Apple maintained a relatively stable number of shipments during Q4 of 2023, Samsung and Xiaomi experienced significant declines, which allowed Apple to claim the top position. The top 5 also saw the resurgence of Honor, and Canalys suggested that smaller brands are expected to increase their market share in the near future, including Oppo, following its resolution with Nokia on 5G patents.
| Company | Q4 2023 shipments (in million) |
Q4 2023 market share |
Q4 2022 shipments (in million) |
Q4 2022 market share |
Change |
| Apple | 12.4 | 33% | 12.2 | 31% | 1% |
| Samsung | 10.8 | 28% | 12.3 | 32% | -12% |
| Xiaomi | 6.0 | 16% | 6.6 | 17% | -10% |
| Motorola | 2.0 | 5% | 1.2 | 3% | 73% |
| Honor | 1.1 | 3% | 0.5 | 1% | 116% |
| Others | 5.5 | 15% | 6.1 | 16% | -8% |
| Total | 37.8 | 100% | 38.9 | 100% | -3% |
According to Bjorhovde, companies will only witness an increase in shipments if they adopt a comprehensive strategy focusing on innovation, reliability, backend logistics, regulatory compliance, and a clear brand message.
| Company | 2023 shipments (in million) |
2023 market share |
2022 shipments (in million) |
2022 market share |
Change |
| Samsung | 43.7 | 34% | 48.9 | 35% | -11% |
| Apple | 34.6 | 27% | 36.2 | 26% | -4% |
| Xiaomi | 22.2 | 17% | 24.7 | 18% | -10% |
| Motorola | 6.4 | 5% | 4.7 | 3% | 34% |
| Oppo | 3.7 | 3% | 6.7 | 5% | -45% |
| Others | 19.2 | 15% | 19.6 | 14% | -2% |
| Total | 129.8 | 100% | 140.8 | 100% | -8% |
In the future, manufacturers will place greater emphasis on on-device user experience utilizing AI at the core, with a focus on personalization, ecosystem interaction, productivity, and entertainment. However, investing in AI should be coupled with consumer education on maximizing the potential of on-device AI features to ensure a strong return on investment.
