According to the latest figures from market analysis company Counterpoint Research, smartphone sales in Europe have fallen to their lowest level.
In its latest report on the status of European smartphone shipments, the company claims that there was a 12% decrease in the 2nd quarter of 2023 compared to the same period of the previous year. Additionally, analysts note that this is the lowest quarterly sales volume since the first quarter of 2012. Western Europe experienced the strongest decline at 14%, while Eastern Europe saw a decline of 8%.
Russia, on the other hand, recorded a growth of 4% on an annual basis. Unfortunately, this is due to the fact that the 2nd quarter of 2022 is the first quarter after the country’s invasion of Ukraine and the exit of major smartphone players from the market, rather than any improvement in the market itself or the purchasing power of citizens.
Analysts also announced that Xiaomi is the market leader in Russia, with Realme in second place. Counterpoint argues that realme has benefited greatly from the withdrawal of Samsung and Apple from the market. This also indicates that realme retained the number two position for the fifth consecutive quarter, and during this period it has managed to continuously narrow the gap with the leader Xiaomi.
The smartphone market has been in a tough spot for years, with new models coming only with incremental improvements and form factors being nearly identical across different manufacturers. New smartphones have lost the “wow” factor, which is one of the reasons why consumers are increasingly turning to used and refurbished devices. Foldable devices are promising, but so far they have failed to attract the attention of the majority of consumers.
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