Apple overtakes Samsung to lead European carrier smartphone sales in Q2, per report

Apple has taken the lead in smartphone sales through European carrier channels in the second quarter of 2026, according to a report from Counterpoint Research. This marks a shift from Samsung's previous dominance in this market segment. Despite a 4% decline in smartphone sales through carriers in Europe compared to the previous year, Apple's market share increased from 33% in Q2 2025 to 37% in Q2 2026.

In contrast, Samsung's share fell from 39% to 34% during the same period. Other players like Motorola and vivo also contributed to the growth, strategically positioning their products with key European operators.

The decline in sales through carriers is attributed to the low-end smartphone market being hit hard by rising memory costs. Carrier sales, however, have held up better as they tend to focus on higher-end devices and premium brands such as Apple. According to Jan Stryjak, Associate Director at Counterpoint Research, "Smartphone sales through operators in Europe are typically more high-end than through the open market, as more are purchased on a contract. They are also more skewed towards more premium brands like Apple, Samsung, and Google."

vivo saw the largest year-over-year increase in carrier sales at 90%, while Motorola experienced a 27% growth. Counterpoint Research expects the carrier channel to continue gaining share in the coming quarters due to the ongoing memory crisis impacting the lower end of the smartphone market. Independent retailers have also increased promotional activities, which could offset some of the price rises and provide additional stimulus to the open market.