This archive report was first published on 12 August 2019.
According to a new report from research firm Canalys, Samsung shipped 18.3 million smartphones in Europe in Q2 2019, securing a market share of over 40% - its highest in five years.
The company's Galaxy A series, which includes the Galaxy A10, A20e, A40, and A50, have been launched in various markets globally and contributed significantly to Samsung's success.
“Samsung obviously had enough of losing share in Europe,” said Canalys Senior Analyst Ben Stanton. “For years, a focus on operating profit has stifled its product strategy. But this year, the shackles are off, and winning back market share is its clear priority.”
However, Samsung's success is not solely due to its product strategy, as its main rival Huawei suffered the impact of political restrictions in the United States, which saw its shipments fall 16% to 8.5 million units.
While in Europe, Apple remained the third-largest vendor, falling 17% to ship 6.4 million iPhones. On the other hand, Xiaomi took advantage to gain further share in markets where it is strong, growing 48% to 4.3 million units.
According to Stanton, “Samsung has been quick to capitalize on Huawei’s US Entity List problems, working behind the scenes to position itself as a stable alternative in conversations with important retailers and operators.”
As a result, distributors, retailers, and mobile operators are actively seeking alternative brands to fill the gap and reduce their dependence on Samsung, which has become a force in Europe after the fall of Huawei.
With a weakened Huawei, retailers are turning to alternatives such as Xiaomi, which has become attractive due to its early foray into 5G.
