Q4 Rounds Off a Good Year for Europe’s Smartphone Market

Europe’s smartphone market grew for the fourth consecutive quarter in 4Q24, registering 4% shipment growth, according to Counterpoint Research. This is the first time we have seen such a run of growth since 1Q17, and it can be primarily attributed to a rebound from a poor 2023, plus impressive growth from the likes of realme and HONOR.

“The growth for four consecutive quarters shows that the difficulties of 2023 are largely behind us. Despite a relatively slow start, Apple saw good growth for its iPhone 16 series. But the real stars of 4Q24 were realme and HONOR. realme rebounded well from a challenging few years, particularly in Western Europe, while HONOR consolidated its fifth position with a strong performance in both Eastern and Western Europe,” said Jan Stryjak, Associate Director at Counterpoint Research.

Commenting on the outlook for the rest of the year, Stryjak said, “We expect a seasonal decline in the coming quarters, although HONOR’s continued growth plus the launch of the iPhone 16e and expansion of Apple Intelligence into EU markets will likely help curb the drop. Geopolitical issues, especially the potential end to the Russia-Ukraine war and the impact of the new Trump administration will add some uncertainty to the region, but overall, we expect low single-digit growth in 2025.”