Despite that downward trend, Apple managed to actually grow in the period, shipping 8.9 million iPhones and surpassing Xiaomi at the second place. Samsung remained the most prolific smartphone vendor in Europe, but it also shipped less Galaxy phones, 14.6 million in total, or a decline of 1.5 million over the same period last year.
Overall smartphone shipments in Europe declined to 41.7 million in May, down from 46.4 million in the same month last year.
And while this is troubling news for the industry, we can see how a strong lineup like the iPhone 13 still managed to secure solid shipments for Apple.
“Most of the decline in Europe was due to Russia and Ukraine being hit hard. Shipments in the countries fell 31% and 51% respectively compared with Q1 2021,” said Canalys Research Analyst Runar Bjørhovde. “Shipments in the rest of Europe only declined 3.5% year on year, showing that demand remains intact. But the ongoing war has driven inflation to a record level and consumer confidence is falling. The real test for the smartphone market will come in the next two quarters, when the economic impact of the war truly starts to be felt.”
Of course, this is only the factual side of the story. As millions of people are displaced by the Russian aggression in Ukraine and thousands die, it is the human cost of the conflict that hurts the most. Don’t forget that if you have the opportunity, it is always a good idea to help those who have suffered from this war and help peace come along sooner.
