According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, premium smartphone models will capture a record 80 percent marketshare of all smartphone revenues generated in Western Europe in 2021. Soaring 5G adoption and a new wave of affordable-premium handsets, such as Apple iPhone SE, will drive the premium smartphone category to an all-time high next year.

We estimate premium smartphone models accounted for 73 percent of all smartphone wholesale revenues generated in Western Europe during 2019, rising to a forecast 77 percent in 2020, and a record 80 percent in 2021. Premium models completely dominate the smartphone revenue landscape across Western Europe.

The premium smartphone market in Western Europe today is being lifted by three major trends. First, there is soaring demand for more affordable 5G smartphones, such as the Samsung Galaxy A90. Second, there is a growing supply of affordable-premium 4G models, such as Apple iPhone SE (2020). Third, a flood of hungry Chinese brands, such as Vivo and Xiaomi, who compete strongly on price, are piling in to grab a slice of the lucrative European premium smartphone pie.

Exhibit 1: Western Europe Smartphone Revenue Forecast by Wholesale Price-Tier: % of Total