CounterPoint: Apple overtakes Samsung in European operator channel sales for Q2 2026, Vivo shows fastest growth
Apple has surpassed Samsung to become the leading smartphone brand in Europe's operator channel in Q2 2026, according to CounterPoint Research. Vivo reported the fastest sales growth.
London – Apple has overtaken Samsung as the top smartphone vendor in Europe's operator channel during the second quarter of 2026, capturing a 37% market share, according to a report by market research firm CounterPoint Research. Samsung followed with 34% market share.
The overall European smartphone market saw an 8% year-over-year decline in shipments during Q2 2026. However, the operator channel experienced a smaller contraction of 4%, while the sell-in market faced an 11% decrease. CounterPoint Research attributes the resilience of the operator channel to a higher proportion of contract sales and a focus on premium devices, which were less impacted by rising memory costs.
Vivo emerged as the fastest-growing brand in the operator channel, with its sales increasing by 90% year-over-year. Motorola secured the second spot with a 27% growth. This marks a shift from the previous year, where Google and Honor led in growth.
The report highlights that rising memory prices have significantly impacted the low-end smartphone market, leading to substantial declines in the sell-in segment. CounterPoint Research Associate Director Jan Stryjak suggested that the operator channel's share may continue to grow in the coming quarters, as the sell-in market recovery is expected to be slower due to the ongoing memory cost challenges.