Kuaikeji, May 27 - According to the latest data from market research firm Omdia, in the first quarter of 2026, smartphone shipments in the European market (excluding Russia) increased by 2% year-on-year, reaching 33 million units.

Specifically, Samsung continued to hold the top spot in the European market with 12.6 million units shipped, marking a 3% year-on-year increase.

Apple ranked second, with shipments growing by 9% year-on-year to 8.8 million units.

Omdia pointed out that Apple's growth was primarily driven by strong demand for the iPhone 17 series, as well as broader coverage of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16e in the mid-range market.

Xiaomi shipped 4.5 million units, a 15% year-on-year decrease. However, despite supply-side pressures, Xiaomi maintained its third-place position in the European market.

Motorola's shipments increased by 17% year-on-year to 1.9 million units, with growth mainly coming from its rapid expansion in the Spanish and Portuguese markets, as well as continued progress in the French and Italian markets.

OPPO's shipments grew by 9% year-on-year to 1.3 million units, primarily benefiting from its return to the French market and growth in the Romanian and Polish markets.

Honor emerged as the fastest-growing brand among the leading manufacturers, with shipments increasing by over 60% compared to the first quarter of 2025.

Omdia believes that Honor's growth is mainly attributable to the further expansion of its product lineup into lower price segments.

The chief analyst at Omdia stated that market performance in the first quarter of 2026 exceeded expectations. However, with continuously improve (continuously rising) memory costs and rapidly changing supply conditions, the overall outlook remains pessimistic.

Omdia forecasts that smartphone shipments in the European market for the full year of 2026 will decline by 12%, with most of the decrease concentrated in the second half of the year.