The Galaxy S25 didn’t help Samsung ship more phones in Europe

Smartphone shipments declined 4% in Europe in the first quarter of the year compared to Q1 2024. Several brands, including Samsung, have recorded fewer shipments year-on-year, but shipment market shares have stayed relatively the same.

Counterpoint Research reveals that Honor was the fastest-growing OEM in terms of smartphone shipments in Europe during the first quarter of the year. Its YoY shipments increased by 20%. However, because Honor doesn't have a large chunk of the market to begin with, its shipment share in Europe, compared to other brands, remained at 4%.

Meanwhile, although Samsung's year-on-year shipments declined by 2%, its shipment share, compared to other OEMs, increased by one point, from 32% in Q1 2024 to 33% in Q1 2025.

The way analysts view it, “Samsung didn't bring much new to the table” with the release of the Galaxy S25 series. Prospective phone buyers in Europe weren't as impressed by the latest Samsung flagships, so the S25 series reportedly underperformed.

Apple increased its shipments year-on-year thanks to the iPhone 16e. Even so, because of the phone's relatively high price, the company recorded relatively poor sales in Europe compared to other regions.

Samsung and Apple remain the market leaders in Europe, but their shipment market shares increased year-on-year mostly because other, smaller brands underperformed.

Things could look different for Samsung in Q2 2025, but that is to be determined. The company's smartphone lineup expanded with the launch of the Galaxy A36 and A56 near the end of Q1, and both phones offer great value.

Samsung also added the ultra-thin Galaxy S25 Edge to its lineup in Q2, but this is far from a budget phone. However, the Edge is rather niche, so it might not have a lot of power to shift Europe's phone shipment shares in Samsung's favor.