The Russian invasion of Ukraine caused the European smartphone market to shrink in the past quarter. According to calculations by market research firm Canalys, sales fell by ten percent to 41.7 million units compared to the same period last year.
Most of the decline is due to the drop in sales in Ukraine and Russia, analyst Runar Bjørhovde said. Sales in Ukraine fell by 51 percent in the first quarter, and in Russia by 31 percent. The sales before the Russian invasion on 24 February are also included. The two market leaders, Apple and Samsung, have meanwhile withdrawn from Russia.
In the rest of Europe, smartphone sales fell by 3.5 percent, according to Canalys, partly because the war in Ukraine fueled inflation.
Samsung remained number one in Europe, with a 35 percent market share and 14.6 million smartphones sold. Apple managed to increase its market share from 19 percent to 21 percent. This was followed by the Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi, with a market share of 20 percent.
