In Europe, only one manufacturer was able to record sales growth last year.
Smartphone sales in Europe have fallen by a whopping 12 percent over the last year when comparing figures from the first quarter of 2021 to the first quarter of this year. In this tumult there has only been one manufacturer that has experienced growth over the period and it is not one of the big three.
Samsung, Apple and Xiaomi are according to data from Counterpoint Research again the manufacturers with the most smartphone sales this year. However, sales of the three brands have plummeted. Xiaomi is the leader here, selling 36 percent less.
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This is the big winner
But the big winner in this period is also a Chinese company, namely Realme. The manufacturer was the only one in the top five to record an increase in sales. And this plus is huge at 67 percent. However, it must also be said that Realme’s market share in the first quarter of 2021 was only two percent, which means that such large growth does not require as many individual sales as would be the case with the other brands.
Nevertheless, it is exciting to see that the manufacturer was able to grow significantly in Europe despite all the hurdles last year. The research report also addresses possible reasons why the smartphone market in Europe has lost. Here’s how the top five fared over the past year:
Only one of the top five managed to gain ground. Source: Counterpoint Research
That’s why most companies sell less
Many of these reasons are related to macroeconomic factors affecting the global economy. Above all, Jan Stryjak from Counterpoint Research quotes the COVID-19 crisis and the associated supply bottlenecks. Supply chains are still disrupted today, which is also due to China’s zero-COVID policy. As a result, entire cities are repeatedly quarantined, which is why there is no production. Of course, smartphones that are not produced cannot be sold either.
Rising inflation is also changing consumer purchasing behavior. Instead of luxury goods like electronics, people would rather spend their money on basic things like food. The rising prices simply leave less room for manoeuvre.
Stryjak cites the Ukraine conflict as the third reason. As a result, Samsung and Apple would no longer have delivered smartphones to Russia. Previously, the two brands were the number one and three largest suppliers for the country.
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The future gives little hope
Finally, Counterpoint gives a small outlook into the future. According to them, sales will fall in the coming quarters. The reason for this is that many European countries are on the brink of recession and the Ukraine conflict is unlikely to be resolved quickly. In addition, inflation remains high, which is likely to increase the cost of living for many people in Europe.
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48 pc games for smartphone 2022
Did you get a new smartphone in the last year? Was it maybe even from Realme? Please let us know.
