Counterpoint: Apple iPhone sales in the European smartphone market reached 15.7 million units in Q4 2020

New data shared by Counterpoint Research shows that in the fourth quarter of 2020, Apple was the largest mobile phone manufacturer in Europe, with total sales of 15.7 million units, which gave Apple a 30% market share. Samsung was the runner-up in the ranking, with shipments of 15.5 million units, a year-on-year decrease of 12%, and a 29% market share in the quarter.

Xiaomi ranked third with sales of 9.1 million units, while Huawei's sales plummeted to no less than 3.6 million units, a sharp drop of 62% from the 9.5 million mobile phone shipments in the fourth quarter of 2020.

Counterpoint said Apple's strategy of launching the iPhone 12 later than usual was what helped it become the king of mobile phones in Europe in the fourth quarter.

"Apple's performance may have declined slightly in 2020, but that doesn't tell the whole story. The decision to delay the launch of the iPhone 12 appears to have paid off for two reasons. First, it gave the iPhone 11 and iPhone SE a chance to demonstrate extraordinary longevity, with continued best-selling in many markets throughout the year. Second, it built demand for the new devices, and when they were finally launched in October, buying was spectacular. In fact, the iPhone 12 was Apple's most successful device launch to date and pushed Apple to 30% share in the fourth quarter of 2020, a record high," the company said.

On the other hand, Realme was the company that recorded the most impressive growth, with its sales soaring by no less than 420% in the fourth quarter of 2020 compared to the same period of the previous year. Realme sold a total of 700,000 phones during the quarter, up from 100,000 in the previous quarter, and gained 1% market share.