Apple and Huawei see their smartphone market shares slashed

Samsung market share climbs by 20 per cent in Q2

Apple and Huawei saw their European smartphone market shares tank in Q2 after Samsung took its stake to above 40 per cent, according to Canalys.

The analyst said that Apple and Huawei saw their shares fall year on year by 17 per cent and 16 per cent respectively, as Samsung increased its dominance with its A Series range of devices.

Canalys said that Samsung has moved fast to take advantage of Huawei's woes as the vendor continues to be restricted by the US government.

"Samsung obviously had enough of losing share in Europe," Canalys analyst Ben Stanton said. "For years, a focus on operating profit has stifled its product strategy.

"But this year, the shackles are off and winning back market share is its clear priority. But its success is not solely due to a product strategy. Samsung has been quick to capitalise on Huawei's US Entity List problems, working behind the scenes to position itself as a stable alternative in conversations with important retailers and operators.

"A lack of brand loyalty among the users of low-end and mid-range Android smartphones, which blighted Samsung for so long, has become the catalyst for its best performance in years. Europe keeps its reputation as one of the most brand-volatile smartphone markets in the world, rife with danger, but also opportunity."

Chinese vendor Xiaomi continued to grow its market share, with Canalys claiming that some retailers and distributors are wary of Samsung gaining much more of an advantage over its competitors.

The analyst claimed that distributors are looking to alternative brands to reduce their reliance on Samsung and mitigate the risk of it becoming harder on margins.