Apple and Huawei saw their European smartphone market shares fall in the second quarter as Samsung took its stake to above 40 percent, according to Canalys.
Canalys said that Apple fell by 17 percent and Huawei fell by 16 percent respectively, as Samsung increased its dominance with its A-Series range of devices.
Canalys said that Samsung moved fast to take advantage of Huawei’s woes as the vendor continues to be restricted by the US government.
Canalys analyst Ben Stanton said: “Samsung had enough of losing share in Europe. 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. But its success is not solely due to a product strategy. Samsung has been quick to capitalise 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.
“A lack of brand loyalty among the users of low-end and mid-range Android smartphones, which blighted Samsung for so long, has become the catalyst for its best performance in years. Europe keeps its reputation as one of the most brand-volatile smartphone markets in the world, rife with danger, but also opportunity.”
Chinese vendor Xiaomi continued to grow its market share, with Canalys claiming that some retailers and distributors are wary of Samsung gaining much more of an advantage over its competitors.
The analyst claimed that distributors are looking to alternative brands to reduce their reliance on Samsung and mitigate the risk of it becoming harder on margins.
