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18 August, 2026
Western Europe is a region of developed economies with sustained demand for premium smartphones and strong ecosystem loyalty. We've divided 19 countries into four subregions and analyzed how vendor preferences in each shape the structure of OEM traffic. This article covers the key differences and the potential they offer for advertisers.
In this series of articles, the division of Europe into Eastern and Western is conditional. The following microstates are not covered in Western Europe: Liechtenstein, Monaco, Andorra, Vatican City, San Marino, and Malta.
The countries of Western Europe are developed economies. This fact largely determines the smartphone vendor landscape — and consequently, the specifics of OEM traffic. Here, premium brands, ecosystem loyalty, and a high average device price come to the forefront.
For the sake of analysis, we’ve grouped the 19 countries of Western Europe into four subregions: Central-Western Europe, Southern Europe, Northern Europe, and the British Isles. Each has its own demand structure and vendor preferences, which directly influence the distribution of OEM traffic. In this overview, we break down how the smartphone market works in each cluster and what potential they unlock for advertisers.
We classify six countries as Central-Western Europe: Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, and Luxembourg. Germany leads both the macro-region and all of Western Europe in terms of mobile subscribers. At the end of 2025, it recorded 110 million connections, representing 131% of its population — indicating the prevalence of multiple mobile-enabled devices per user. The second-largest market in the region is the Netherlands, with 26.9 million subscribers. Both countries showed steady growth in their subscriber base compared to 2024. Germany added 2.4 million (+2.2%), while the Netherlands grew by 1.9 million (+7.8%).
The remaining countries in the macro-region also show positive momentum: Austria — +1.1%, Belgium — +0.8%, and Switzerland — +3.8%. Even Luxembourg, the smallest country in the region, recorded growth of 2.2%. Overall, Central-Western Europe demonstrates a steady increase in mobile connections. Notably, in several countries, this growth is occurring without a corresponding rise in population.
In all countries except Luxembourg, the top five vendors are the same: Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, Google, and Unknown. Apple leads in every country. Meanwhile, the average share of Android devices in the macro-region in 2026 stands at 54.6%. This makes the region attractive for OEM advertisers, as Android devices support in-app advertising, unlike iOS. Apple’s highest share is recorded in Switzerland (56.8%). The most competitive race is in the Netherlands, where Apple leads Samsung by just 4.5 percentage points. Samsung consistently holds second place. Xiaomi is present but does not reach double-digit figures except in Germany (10.0%).
Over the past two years, all countries in the macro-region have shown a steady trend of increasing shares for Apple and Google, alongside a decline in shares for Samsung and Xiaomi. Google’s popularity has surged sharply since the second half of 2025 across all countries except Luxembourg.
Demand fluctuations for the brands in question reflect new model launches. In Germany — the largest country in the macro-region by subscriber base — the top five best-selling smartphones in March 2026 were exclusively Apple models, which explains the brand’s share growth in Q1 2026. However, this trend may shift in the second half of the year, driven by anticipated announcements of new devices from Samsung and Google, as well as a possible consumer shift toward more affordable models.
Despite the declining share of key Android vendors — Samsung and Xiaomi — the average share of Android devices in Central-Western Europe remained relatively high in Q2 2026, at 53.5%.
Southern Europe in our overview includes six countries: France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, and Cyprus. The largest markets in the macro-region by mobile subscriber count are France and Italy. Compared to 2024, France recorded an increase of 2.6 million connections (+3.4%). Italy saw a decline of 11 million (-13.7%). Among the remaining countries, growth was observed in Spain (+0.8%) and Cyprus (+3.5%). Portugal and Greece, however, recorded declines of 1% and 0.8%, respectively.
Apple leads in every country across the macro-region. However, the average share of Android devices here is significantly higher than in Central-Western Europe, standing at 66.5%. Beyond the usual Apple, Samsung, and Xiaomi, the top five vendors include Oppo in Spain and Portugal, while Google makes the cut in France, Italy, and Cyprus. The share of Unknown devices in Southern Europe is also higher than in Central-Western Europe. It may indicate more active use of budget smartphones from lesser-known brands. This creates both additional risks and opportunities for OEM advertisers.
Over the past two years, Apple and Samsung have been locked in fierce competition for leadership across the macro-region. In recent quarters, Apple has managed to pull ahead, driven by successful new device launches in key countries. At the same time, even during periods of Apple’s dominance, Samsung’s position remains strong. In France, for instance, the top five best-selling smartphones in March 2026 included not only Apple models but also Samsung devices — confirming that a significant portion of the audience remains loyal to the Korean brand.
The combined share of the Android ecosystem in the macro-region remains substantial, indicating its resilience in the market. However, demand dynamics vary by country. The Italian and Spanish markets show more stable consumer behavior. Meanwhile, in France, buyers are notably sensitive to new model releases. Additionally, in Italy and France — as in other countries of Central-Western Europe — a steady increase in interest in Google smartphones has been recorded in recent quarters. This trend points to the brand’s gradual consolidation in the premium segment.
Northern Europe in our overview includes five countries: Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Iceland. This macro-region differs notably from the other Western European subregions in its relatively small number of mobile subscribers. The largest market here is Sweden, with 14.8 million connections at the end of 2025. The country recorded a 1.6% growth in its subscriber base compared to 2024. Growth patterns across the remaining countries are far from uniform. Denmark and Iceland show growth of 1.3% and 1.1%, respectively. Norway and Finland saw slight declines of 0.6% and 0.9%.
In Northern Europe, Apple dominates across all countries — ranging from 37.2% in Finland to 62.4% in Denmark. Samsung consistently holds second place. The most competitive situation is in Finland, where the gap between the brands is minimal. The structure of the top three varies by country. In Finland, third place goes to Xiaomi; in Sweden — to Google; and in Denmark — to OnePlus. The average share of Android devices in the macro-region in 2026 stands at 46.6%. It’s notably lower than in other Western European subregions, reflecting Apple’s traditionally strong position in the Nordic markets. The share of Unknown devices is among the lowest in Western Europe (3.3–9.5%), indicating high market transparency.
Sweden and Finland show divergent trends. In Sweden, Apple maintains its leadership, though its share has been gradually declining over the past two years. Google is growing rapidly — from 1.7% to 9.9% — indicating the brand’s rising popularity. The other brands in the top five remain relatively stable. In Finland, by contrast, Apple has been steadily increasing its share over the past two years — from 22.8% to 40.1% — gradually reclaiming ground from Samsung. Xiaomi, meanwhile, is losing share, while OnePlus maintains a stable presence at around 6–8%. Two markets, two different growth scenarios — underscoring the importance of localized strategy adaptation for OEM advertisers.
The British Isles in our overview include two countries — the United Kingdom and Ireland. What’s more interesting, the UK is one of the largest mobile markets in Western Europe by subscriber count. At the end of 2025, it recorded 99.3 million connections, an increase of 1.1 million (+1.1%) compared to the previous year. The number of mobile connections in the UK represented 143% of the population — meaning a significant portion of users have more than one active number, for example, for personal and work purposes. Ireland also showed positive momentum, with its subscriber base growing by 73,000 (+1.3%) compared to 2024.
In the UK and Ireland, around 80% of the market in 2026 is accounted for by just two brands: Apple and Samsung. However, the gap between them is less pronounced in Ireland than in the UK. Third place in the UK goes to Google with a 4.6% share. In Ireland, third place belongs to the Unknown category (5.3%). In both countries, iOS and Android split the market roughly 50/50.
In terms of dynamics, smartphone users in the UK demonstrate highly stable preferences. The shares of the top five brands remained virtually unchanged over the past two years. The only notable shift was a slight redistribution of Samsung’s share in favor of Apple in the first half of 2026. Notably, Google’s share stayed within the 4–5% range without sharp spikes — unlike in Central-Western Europe, where the brand showed rapid growth. The dominance of Samsung and Apple in the UK market is also confirmed by Counterpoint Research data. In March 2026, the top five best-selling smartphone models were represented exclusively by these two brands, which together accounted for 64% of all sales.
In Ireland, since the second half of 2025, Apple has been gradually reclaiming share from Samsung and Google — most notably against Google, whose share dropped sharply from 16.9% to 2%. This is highly unusual for Western Europe, where users have increasingly been choosing the brand. Meanwhile, Xiaomi’s share has remained stable, hovering around 3% over the past two years.
Western Europe is a region of premium demand, with Apple dominating across all macro-regions. However, market structure varies considerably — from a high Android share in Southern Europe (66.5%) to a low of 46.6% in Northern Europe. The British Isles remain stable, with Apple and Samsung dominating the landscape, while Southern and Central-Western Europe show notably more competitive environments. For OEM advertisers, Western Europe offers substantial opportunities but requires localized strategy adaptation for each country, taking into account regional preferences and iOS penetration levels.
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