Apple has caught up to Samsung in Europe, and the numbers tell a more interesting story than the headline suggests.
According to Counterpoint Research’s Q2 2026 breakdown of the European smartphone market, Samsung and Apple each shipped enough devices to claim 34% of the region’s market, a dead heat at the top. A year ago, the gap was much wider: Samsung held 31%, Apple just 25%. Samsung’s share crept up three points over that stretch. Apple jumped nine.
That’s the real story here. This isn’t Samsung stumbling; its shipments actually grew. It’s Apple accelerating past nearly everyone else while the overall market shrinks around it. European smartphone shipments fell 10% year-over-year last quarter, hitting their lowest point in three years, largely because rising DRAM and NAND prices have pushed brands to raise prices and pull back on promotions. Companies leaning on budget and mid-range phones have felt that squeeze hardest, which explains why Xiaomi (15%), OPPO (4%), and Honor (3%) are all trailing well behind the top two. Combined, Samsung and Apple now account for 68% of everything shipped in Europe last quarter.
Worth noting: this tie is a European phenomenon, not a global one. Counterpoint’s worldwide figures still show Samsung comfortably ahead, 24% to Apple’s 20%. Apple’s iPhone 17 lineup and its resilience in the premium segment appear to be doing the heavy lifting regionally, part of a broader quarter where Apple posted its best-ever Q2 global share and grabbed 49% of the industry’s total revenue.
M Adnan Akram is the founder and lead writer at Phoonomo, covering mobile technology with a primary focus on Apple and the broader smartphone industry, alongside emerging developments in AI. He follows product launches, spec leaks, and industry trends closely to keep readers informed with timely updates.
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