Samsung Electronics Co.'s share of the European smartphone market advanced slightly in the fourth quarter of last year, benefiting from rival Huawei Technologies Co.'s struggle with a US trade ban, data showed Tuesday.

Samsung had a 27 percent market share in Europe in the fourth quarter, up 2 percentage points from a year earlier, according to market researcher Counterpoint Research.

Samsung, the world's largest smartphone maker, apparently enlarged its presence after Huawei was barred from installing Google services on its phones, Counterpoint said.

However, Samsung's market share in other regions fell slightly due to aggressive marketing from mid-tier Chinese smartphone vendors such as Oppo and Realme, according to the research firm.

Samsung's market share in the Middle East-Africa region slid from 22 percent to 20 percent in the fourth quarter, while its presence in the Central and South American market fell from 36 percent to 34 percent in the same period. Its market share in North America also slipped from 22 percent to 20 percent in the fourth quarter, according to the data.

According to Counterpoint Research, Samsung had the lion's share in countries like Ukraine, Chile, Portugal, Italy and Peru.

In particular, the South Korean tech giant had a 49 percent share in Ukraine, up 23.2 percentage points from a year ago.

"Samsung's smartphone business is likely to see stable growth this year," said Park Jin-suk, an analyst at Counterpoint Research.

"Even though competition with Chinese brands appears to be fierce in the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia regions, Samsung is able to supply differentiated products with its technology, so the company will stay competitive." (Yonhap)