Samsung drives smartphone shipment rebound in Germany

According to Counterpoint Research’s Q1 2024 Market Monitor Shipment Tracker, Germany’s Q1 2024 smartphone shipments grew 13% YoY, ending an eight-quarter streak of decline – and Samsung accounted for three quarters of market growth, claiming 32% market share.

It’s the first quarterly YoY increase in shipments in the region since Q3 2021, and the analyst suggests this represents a turning point in the market.

“Samsung was by far the biggest driver for growth in the first quarter, largely due to the launch of the well-received Galaxy S24 series. The older A-Series and Xcover models also supported shipment growth,” said Counterpoint Associate Director Jan Stryjak. “There were similar dynamics with Google too, with older model Pixel 7 series devices accounting for much of the brand’s growth. Q1 2024 was a fantastic quarter for Google, as its shipments more than doubled over the year to lock in its number four ranking.”

Meanwhile Apple’s growth was ‘muted’ in Q1 2024 but its product mix was much improved with a significantly higher share of Pro models shipped during the quarter, says the report.

As for the rest of the brands, Stryjak added: “OPPO struggled as patent issues hurt its business, but settlements with Nokia are paving the way for its return – although mostly via its sister brand OnePlus.”

The analysist predicts that the German smartphone market is likely to continue growing this year, although in single digits, pointing to an improving economy and possible pent-up demand driving replacement cycles.

This improvement is reflected in global market trends – Omdia and Counterpoint both clocked upticks in Q1 smartphone shipments. Counterpoint registered global smartphone shipments at a 6% year-on-year increase in the first quarter of 2024, while Omdia put the figure at around double that.