After taking a stroll in Berlin, Germany, I discovered the truth about Chinese mobile phones' expansion into the European market.
In many people's impressions, the European mobile phone market has always been the turf of brands like Samsung and Apple, and domestic mobile phones have had a relatively low profile. I used to think the same way. However, some time ago, as a member of the Lei Technology IFA2025 reporting team, I was proven wrong after visiting a digital mall in Berlin, Germany: Domestic mobile phones have not only taken root in the local market but have almost occupied the core exhibition stands in the digital mall.
I know some people will retort, "The overall sales of Apple and Samsung are still far ahead." That's true, but the fact is that domestic mobile phones are quietly expanding their influence overseas and are gaining more and more recognition from users. Domestic mobile phone brands that once withdrew from the Western European market have returned to this lucrative market, and this time they are better prepared.
Domestic Mobile Phones Outperform Samsung in Berlin
The digital mall in Berlin visited by Lei Technology is located in the Charlottenburg - Wilmersdorf district, one of the local famous commercial areas. There are also stores of many Chinese brands such as NIO and Huawei around the digital mall. If it weren't for the foreigners coming and going, I almost thought I had traveled back to China.
Source: Lei Technology
On the first floor of the digital mall, there is a large comprehensive area that sells mobile phones, 3C accessories, and small household appliances. The mobile phone display stands are set in the center of the comprehensive area, and many customers are stopping to take a look. Overall, mobile phones are clearly the star category in the digital mall. They are not only placed in the most prominent position but also occupy the largest area. Four large exhibition stands display dozens of mobile phones from different brands.
To be honest, digital malls like this are rare in China. Large - scale digital malls such as JD Mall and BrainBox have basically shifted to brand - centered store designs, and there are few unified mobile phone areas for different brands. There are also many mobile phone brands on display. Not only are there well - known models like Xiaomi, OPPO, vivo, and Honor, but also brands such as ZTE and Nubia.
Source: Lei Technology
Interestingly, in addition to smartphones, there are also many feature phones. For example, there are the classic Nokia series launched by HMD, and I even saw a flip - keyboard phone with an Android system, which gave me the feeling of traveling back more than a decade ago. Although most offline mobile phone stores in China also sell feature phones (targeting the elderly), in recent years, with the price reduction of smartphones and the improvement of age - friendly functions, more and more elderly people have switched to smartphones, and feature phones are becoming less common.
After walking around, I found an opportunity to strike up a conversation with a young man who was looking at mobile phones. He looked around twenty years old and seemed to be looking for a mobile phone with good performance and a reasonable price. Young people like him, who have some knowledge of mobile phones, are the best interview subjects.
Thanks to the translation earphone I carried with me, we had no problem communicating even though I didn't know much German. The German guy was holding a Xiaomi 14T Pro, which is basically the overseas version of the domestic Redmi K70 Ultra. The overall configuration is almost the same (the 14T Pro has wireless charging). It is equipped with a Dimensity 9300 +, and its overall performance can easily meet daily and entertainment needs.
Source: Lei Technology
After putting on the translation earphone, the German guy was very enthusiastic and said directly, "I was wondering who to ask about the system and quality of Xiaomi. Unexpectedly, I met someone from the country where it's made." I subconsciously replied, "Why don't you ask the salesperson?" Then I quickly realized and couldn't help laughing. The German guy did the same and replied, "Du verstehst schon (German: You know what I mean)."
As a former user of the K70 Ultra, this German guy asked the right person. After spending a few minutes introducing my experience with this phone, his desire to buy it clearly increased: "It sounds really good. I think it's more worth buying than Samsung. The Samsung S24FE costs more than 600 euros, and it only has 8GB of RAM. It's 2025, and a phone that costs more than 600 euros only has 8GB of RAM. Does it think it's an iPhone?"
It seems that overseas friends also have complaints about 8GB of memory. Some people in China often praise the perfect Android ecosystem overseas and claim that 8GB of memory is enough. To be honest, If you can buy a phone with 12GB of memory at the same price, who would choose 8GB? Foreigners aren't stupid. They understand that 12 is greater than 8. Even if 8GB isn't laggy, 12GB would be even smoother, right?
Operator Channels Remain the Mainstream in the Western European Market
Speaking of which, the Western European mobile phone market can really be described as "difficult." A mid - flagship phone that was released two years ago can still be sold for 639.99 euros, equivalent to about 5343 yuan. Based on the current price of the Redmi K70 Ultra on JD's self - operated platform in China, you could buy 2.5 units (the 12GB + 512GB version is currently priced at 2188 yuan).
Source: JD
Although the price of unlocked phones is extremely high, if you choose to buy a phone through an operator contract, the price will be much more affordable. Taking the Xiaomi 14T Pro as an example, If you choose the contract package of o2 Mobile, you only need to pay 34.99 euros per month, and you can take this phone home for 39 euros. You'll also get 50GB of monthly data and unlimited calls and text messages. Moreover, for each additional year of the package, your monthly data will increase by 5GB.
According to the German guy, such a package usually requires a two - year subscription, which amounts to 840 euros in total. Later, I found the latest tariff package of o2 Mobile on its official website. A similar data package without a phone costs 19.99 euros per month. Overall, if you have a high demand for data, it's quite cost - effective.
Some may wonder, "Isn't Xiaomi known for its 'high - quality and affordable' products? Why is it so expensive in Europe?" In fact, Xiaomi's pricing in the local market is still quite cost - effective. Comparing the S24FE of Samsung with the Xiaomi 14T Pro in terms of various parameters, such as the processor, screen, charging speed, memory/storage, you'll find that Xiaomi has always maintained its cost - effectiveness.
Moreover, product pricing needs to consider various factors such as tariffs, local income levels, and local operating costs. It's not as simple as just converting RMB to euros. If Xiaomi sold its products in Europe at the current Chinese prices, it would be doing charity.
In addition, the competition among European operators is also very fierce. According to the information I found on CHECK24 (a European operator plan comparison website), Vodafone offers a 14.99 - euro/30GB contract package. If you port your number, you'll get a 150 - euro rebate from the operator and an 110 - euro rebate from the website. Although you still need to pay 499 euros to get the phone, it's much more cost - effective than the packages offered in offline stores.
You can also choose Telekom (T - Mobile)'s 29.99 - euro contract, which includes 40GB of data. You only need to pay 99 euros to buy the phone (and get a 220 - euro rebate). Overall, it's even more cost - effective than Vodafone's package. I'm sure many readers have understood the situation by now.
Source: CHECK24
Yes, if you want to buy a phone in Western Europe, going through an operator channel is the most cost - effective option. The price of unlocked phones is extremely high and not worth considering at all. To some extent, only those who strongly resist contract phones or have special reasons not to change their package and operator will choose to buy an unlocked phone.
Chinese mobile phone manufacturers also learned this lesson at a high cost. However, it's not easy to cooperate with operators. In the past few years, brands like Xiaomi and OPPO have been constantly seeking breakthroughs. Among them, Xiaomi has cooperated with many local operators such as Vodafone and Three UK. It promotes its phones through their offline channels and has also further promoted the implementation of the trade - in service.
Thanks to its localized operations, more cost - effective products, and the expansion of direct - sales stores and online - offline sales channels, Xiaomi has become a well - known brand in many Western European countries and is rapidly eroding Samsung's market share.
Xiaomi, OPPO, Lenovo and Others are Eroding Samsung's Share in Europe
Xiaomi currently has the largest number of stores in the EU among Chinese mobile phone brands. Although the latest official data dates back to 2019, when there were more than 100 Xiaomi Homes, Lu Weibing recently announced that Xiaomi plans to open 10,000 Xiaomi Homes overseas in the next five years, and Europe will be one of the key regions.
I also found some interesting information. Xiaomi's first direct - sales store in Germany opened in September. In addition to selling the Xiaomi 15 series phones, customers who buy the Xiaomi 15 Ultra can get a REDMI Pad SE for 1 euro, which is quite a generous offer.
Source: Twitter
Obviously, Xiaomi is not willing to be restricted by operator channels. It is promoting the expansion of its products in Europe through a dual - track approach of direct - sales stores and agents. With the support of a series of measures, Xiaomi's market share in the European market soared to second place in Q2 2025, accounting for 23%. This is quite an impressive achievement.
OPPO, which entered the European market earlier and once led the way, was forced to withdraw from some European markets due to a patent dispute with Nokia. However, after the patent lawsuit was settled, OPPO has officially returned to Western Europe and formed a "strategic alliance" with Telefónica. It is also promoting cooperation with major operators. The OPPO Find X8, as a representative model, has started to enter some European countries.
In addition, Lenovo's Moto and BBK Electronics' realme also have a combined market share of about 7 - 10% in Europe. Adding Xiaomi and OPPO's shares, the total has exceeded 30%. It can be said that the European market has essentially entered a "tripartite confrontation" state. Chinese brands led by Xiaomi are competing with Samsung and Apple and are gradually eroding Samsung's market share with their cost - effectiveness in the mid - to - low - end market.
Source: Weibo
To be honest, I'm very optimistic about the market prospects of Chinese mobile phone brands in Europe. As long as non - market factors are not involved, Samsung will find it difficult to compete with the three "intense competitors" (OPPO, vivo, and Xiaomi) that have emerged from the highly competitive Chinese market. As for Apple, it's in a different league. Let's focus on beating Samsung first.
With the expansion of domestic mobile phones in the European market, more and more ordinary people have started to pay attention to these Chinese consumer electronics brands. Many users become loyal fans after purchasing their products. For example, the German guy I interviewed got his first impression of Xiaomi from a friend who is enthusiastic about digital products, and it was his friend who recommended the Xiaomi 14T Pro to him.
However, the German guy also said that he would go to check out the Xiaomi 15T Pro later. If the price difference isn't significant, he'll probably buy it directly. I asked him, "Why don't you buy the Xiaomi 15?" "It's too expensive," he replied. "949 euros is a big expense for me. So, I'll wait until I get a better job."
In response, I can only say, "The paradise for digital enthusiasts is still China." I also hope that Chinese brands can bring better and more affordable products to overseas markets during their global expansion.