Mid-tier iPhone lags behind predecessors in first month on sale in Europe
According to Counterpoint Research data, the iPhone 16e, released at the end of February 2025 and priced at "just' €719 (RM3,480) in France, ranked ninth among the best-selling smartphones in Europe in March. — Bloomberg
The iPhone 16e, the newest and most affordable of Apple's latest-generation smartphones, made a strong entry into Europe's bestseller list, according to the March 2025 ranking published by Counterpoint Research. However, initial sales have yet to match the performance of previous mid-tier iPhone SE handsets.
According to Counterpoint Research data, the iPhone 16e, released at the end of February 2025 and priced at "just' €719 (RM 3,480) in France, ranked ninth among the best-selling smartphones in Europe in March. It alone accounted for 8% of iPhone sales on the continent.
However, this performance does not match that of its mid-tier predecessors. In 2020, the second-generation iPhone SE reached third place, accounting for 19% of Apple's sales in Europe in its first month on the market.
Two years later, the latest generation iPhone SE entered the ranking in sixth place, accounting for 12% of iPhone sales on the Old Continent.
The price difference is likely to explain this discrepancy, as the iPhone 16e is much more expensive than the previous iPhone SE, selling from €489 (RM 2,367) in 2020 and €529 (RM 2,560) in 2022. Despite this, it still ranks ninth in European smartphone sales in its debut month. Unsurprisingly, Apple and Samsung dominate the top 10.
Top 10 best-selling smartphones in Europe in March 2025:
1 Apple iPhone 16 Pro
2 Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
3 Apple iPhone 16
4 Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
5 Samsung Galaxy S25
6 Samsung Galaxy S24
7 Samsung Galaxy A55 5G
8 Samsung Galaxy A16 5G
9 Apple iPhone 16e
10 Apple iPhone 15 – AFP Relaxnews
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