In the first quarter of last year, there were no mid-range 5G phones in the European market, and by the third quarter they accounted for 20% of the segment. According to Counterpoint Research, 5G mid-range phones accounted for half of the $250-500 devices sold in Europe in the first quarter of this year.
's support for next-gen networks is only part of the story: mid-range ($250-500) and "sub-flagship" levels ($500-700) are what drove smartphone sales in the Old Continent last year, at the expense of Huawei for the price.
Huawei has now all but disappeared in Western markets, where it was previously very popular in the sub-$250 segment, but then the companies that have eaten its market share in its place have opted to focus on higher price tiers. That's why the $250-$500 and $500-$700 segments are growing even during the pandemic-induced economic slowdown, plus there's a clear lack of attractive sub-$250 devices right now, analysts believe.
Relatively newer brands such as Xiaomi, OPPO and OnePlus saw a massive four-fold increase in sales compared to the first quarter of last year. More than a third of mid-range and sub-flagship model sales now come from these three companies.
This puts pressure on Apple and Samsung in these areas, but according to Counterpoint these two market leaders are not safe even in the flagship segment as Xiaomi, OPPO, OnePlus, Realme and vivo each have their own appeal force. Analysts predict they are working on foldable flagships, which will further increase pressure on Apple and Samsung.
