In the intense battle for market share in the second quarter of this year, Apple faced significant challenges in the mobile phone market. Not only did it fall behind several domestic Chinese manufacturers, but it also lost its long-held second-place position in Europe.

According to the latest report by research firm Canalys, despite Samsung, Apple, and Xiaomi maintaining their prominent positions in the European mobile phone market during the second quarter, Xiaomi has shaken off its reputation as the "perennial third-placer." After a two-year hiatus, Xiaomi has once again surpassed Apple.

Xiaomi's market share surpassed Apple by two percentage points and was the fastest-growing player on the list, recording an 11% increase compared to the same period last year.

Image source: Canalys

It's well-known that the European mobile phone market is not easily swayed by low-priced models. Canalys noted in the first quarter that European consumers' appetite for entry-level devices has been waning annually. In 2021, devices priced below 200 euros accounted for 47% of the market share, but this has now dipped below 30%.

The price segment above 800 euros has emerged as a significant player, capturing 32% of the total market shipments. Xiaomi's ascent to the second spot this time can largely be attributed to the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, which effectively "elevated" Xiaomi's product line.

Remarkably, Xiaomi's ultra-premium model commands double the price overseas compared to China, even surpassing Apple's iPhone 16 Pro Max (impressive indeed, as Xiaomi seems to be capitalizing on foreign markets while "subsidizing" domestic consumers).

Beyond Xiaomi, realme also shone in this ranking. Not only did it surpass the 300 million sales milestone on its seventh anniversary, but it also secured a spot among the top 5 in the European market, trailing Lenovo by just 1% in market share.

However, Lenovo, which performed robustly last year, witnessed a deceleration in growth this time, registering a year-on-year decline of 18%. It remains to be seen whether Lenovo has any new models up its sleeve for the second half of this year to regain its footing. Time will tell.