Choosing Europe

4. European smartphones

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Are There Smartphones Made in Europe?

Europe is rethinking its dependence on other parts of the world for important technology. Software has received most of the attention because it is easier to replace or adapt than hardware. But digital sovereignty is not complete if Europe does not also have control over the devices that run this software.

There are three main points to consider:

  • Do European smartphones exist?
  • What is the current situation of mobile phone manufacturing in Europe?
  • And how close is Europe to having phones that are designed, produced, and managed within the continent?

The answer is not simple. European smartphone brands do exist. However, most of them do not manufacture their phones in Europe. Only a few assemble devices in countries such as Germany, Switzerland, or Finland.

Most brands depend on factories in Asia, even if the design, company structure, and strategic decisions remain European.

But there are small signs that suggest a more promising future. Some initiatives, still limited in scale, show a change is possible. They are not yet strong enough to transform the whole industry, but they point in a different direction.

In this issue

💡 Focus European smartphone manufacturers. A realistic look at who builds phones under European ownership today, what that really means, and where the limits still are.

🎬 Film Love Me Tender · France 🇫🇷 (2025) A custody dispute that becomes a portrait of a woman trying to keep her own life while institutions reduce her to a role.

📺 Series Dead End · Belgium 🇧🇪 (2024) A sharp crime drama where a small town murder exposes social tensions that were already there.

🎵 Music The Beauty of It All · Monolink · Germany 🇩🇪 (2025) Electronic music with a songwriter’s core, built on patience, balance, and emotional clarity.

📖 Book God’s Madman at the End of the World (El loco de Dios en el fin del mundo) · Javier Cercas · Spain 🇪🇸 (2025) An atheist writer travels with Pope Francis to ask one personal question, and turns it into a public inquiry about faith, doubt, and resurrection.

🎙️ Podcast Newsflash · RTL Today · Luxembourg 🇱🇺 A short daily news update focused on Luxembourg and the wider region, with global headlines delivered in just a few minutes.

A small side note

If you usually buy Kleenex paper tissues, why not switch to Tempo instead?

Founded in Germany in 1929, Tempo became a household name for paper tissues in much of Europe. Today, Tempo is part of the Swedish group Essity. 🇩🇪🇸🇪

European Smartphones

Europe’s smartphone market is still dominated by global companies. In the second quarter of 2025, Samsung held about 36 % of the market, Apple 24 %, and Xiaomi 19 %.

European brands do exist, but they operate on a much smaller scale. They do not compete on volume or very low prices. Instead, they focus on specific priorities such as repairability, secure communications, privacy oriented software, modular design, or minimalist hardware. Their total market share remains limited.

European alternatives are available, but they mainly attract users who value longevity, device control, and the legal and regulatory framework behind the company.

What European Means Here

In this article, European refers to where a company is based, governed, and legally registered. It does not necessarily mean that the phone is manufactured in Europe.

Most European smartphone brands rely on global production.

Nothing manufactures its phones in India through a partnership with Optiemus Infracom.

Fairphone designs its devices in the Netherlands and focuses on repairability and long software support. However, including its latest generation, manufacturing and final assembly continue mainly in China.

There are some relevant exceptions.

HMD Global began manufacturing certain Nokia branded 5G smartphones in Hungary in 2023, bringing part of smartphone production back to the European Union.

Gigaset assembles several of its smartphones in Bocholt, Germany, and presents them as made in Germany.

Bittium manufactures its Tough Mobile 2 in Finland. The device is aimed at government and security focused users, and its production processes can be audited.

Some assembly now takes place in Europe, but large scale production remains mostly outside the continent. European ownership and European manufacturing are still not the same thing.

Why Consider a European Smartphone

European smartphones rarely compete on the lowest price or the most advanced camera. Their strengths are different.

They often focus on longer device life, easier repair, more control over software, and clearer supply chains. Some offer systems with reduced dependence on Google services. Others are designed to be opened and repaired with simple tools.

If your priority is maximum performance, full ecosystem integration, and easy retail access, global brands offer more options. But if you prefer durability, transparency, and the guarantees of a European legal framework, the alternatives are real.

Notes and Sources

  1. Canalys, Europe smartphone market Q2 2025
    https://www.canalys.com/newsroom/europe-smartphone-market-q2-2025
  2. HMD Global press release on European manufacturing, 2023
    https://www.hmdglobal.com/press/hmd-begins-manufacturing-5g-smartphones-in-europe
  3. Gigaset Made in Germany information
    https://www.gigaset.com/hq_en/cms/made-in-germany.html
  4. Bittium Tough Mobile 2 official product information
    https://www.bittium.com/products/bittium-tough-mobile-2
  5. Fairphone company and impact information
    https://www.fairphone.com/en/impact/

Nothing · United Kingdom 🇬🇧

Nothing is the European brand you are most likely to see in mainstream retail. It is based in London and builds Android phones with a strong focus on design and a clean interface through Nothing OS. (Nothing Phone)

Its phones are made through global supply chains, with manufacturing in Asia including India. Nothing is European in ownership, branding, and product decisions, not in manufacturing. (Nothing global site)

A standard Android phone with a clear European design style, not a privacy focused or distraction reducing device.

Fairphone · Netherlands 🇳🇱

Fairphone is based in Amsterdam and builds phones around repairability and longer use.

The Fairphone 6 is modular, with spare parts you can swap yourself, and it comes with an unusually long software support plan. There is also a model running /e/OS. (Fairphone 6)

Fairphone is also unusually open about the production side of its work. The company shares information about its partnerships with factories in China and the initiatives it runs to support workers there. (Fairphone on manufacturing progress)

A phone you can keep for years, with a company that takes its supply chain seriously.

Crosscall · France 🇫🇷

Crosscall is based in Aix en Provence and focuses on rugged phones for work and outdoor use.

Its devices are built around durability, water resistance, and impact protection, using familiar standards like IP ratings and MIL testing. (Crosscall business phones)

A practical choice if you need a tool, not a fashion object, and you regularly work in places where normal phones fail.

Gigaset · Germany 🇩🇪

Gigaset positions its smartphones around local production. It presents its smartphone line as Made in Germany. (Gigaset Made in Germany)

A device assembled under European labour rules, with closer oversight.

HMD · Finland 🇫🇮

HMD is headquartered in Espoo and is best known for Nokia branded phones, alongside newer HMD branded devices. What matters here is that HMD has an official European manufacturing line for an enterprise version of the Nokia XR21. (HMD press release)

HMD is not a values first brand in the Fairphone sense. It is a more mainstream choice, shaped by scale and a security focus. It is based in Europe and has some manufacturing in Europe for selected devices.

Jolla · Finland 🇫🇮

Jolla’s core contribution is software. Sailfish OS is a European alternative mobile operating system, and Jolla has returned to hardware with the new Jolla Phone. (Jolla Phone pre order)

It is not a simple switch, but it is one of the clearest examples of European operating system sovereignty in practice. (Jolla press release PDF)

A non mainstream platform that still lets you run many Android apps through Jolla AppSupport.

Punkt · Switzerland 🇨🇭

Punkt builds privacy oriented devices with a minimalist mindset.

Its MC03 product page presents the phone as designed in Switzerland and built in Germany, with a strong focus on user control and data privacy. (Punkt MC03)

A more intentional smartphone experience, for people who are comfortable stepping away from mainstream Android.

Mudita · Poland 🇵🇱

Mudita focuses on calm tech and reduced distraction.

Mudita Kompakt uses an E Ink display and a custom system designed for essential use, not endless scrolling. (Mudita Kompakt)

A phone that puts attention first, even if that means a slower screen and fewer comforts.

Volla · Germany 🇩🇪

Volla’s pitch is control and simplicity.

Volla OS is built on open source Android without Google services, and the company also supports alternative systems such as Ubuntu Touch. (Volla Phone)

A phone that feels like a tool you own, even if some apps are less convenient.

Shift · Germany 🇩🇪

Shift builds modular phones and puts repair at the centre of the product. Its current lineup is presented as built to be repaired rather than replaced. (SHIFTphone 8)

A repairable phone from a smaller company that sells directly.

Bittium · Finland 🇫🇮

Bittium is not a consumer brand. Tough Mobile 2 is designed for high security professional use, and Bittium states it is designed and built for demanding security requirements. (Bittium Tough Mobile 2)

It belongs in this list for completeness, not as a general recommendation.

Where Things Stand Today

A smartphone that is designed in Europe, manufactured in Europe, and powered by a European operating system is still uncommon. What exists instead is a small but serious ecosystem of European companies. Each one focuses on a clear priority: repairability, privacy, secure communications, rugged professional use, or minimalist design.

If your priority is the best camera and the smoothest app ecosystem, mainstream global brands will usually lead. If you care more about keeping your phone longer, controlling your software environment, and buying under European legal standards, these brands offer real alternatives. The trade offs are clear, but so are the advantages.

Industrial capacity does not develop overnight. No region strengthens its technology sector if its own consumers never choose its products.

Buying from European led companies is a concrete decision that helps build long term capability.

There is also a direct personal benefit. If your device collects less data and gives you more control, the advantage is immediate.

You support a different industrial model, and you use a phone that operates more on your terms.

Now that the main part of this issue is behind us, it is time to turn to culture. Here is a selection of films, series, albums, podcasts, and books made in Europe that are worth your attention.

🎵 Music

The Beauty of It All · Monolink · Germany 🇩🇪 · 2025

Monolink is a Berlin producer who writes like a songwriter. On this album, the two sides finally sit in the same room. The songs move slowly, with guitars and warm vocals held inside steady electronic motion. It feels calm, but not empty. More like someone choosing quiet, and meaning it. If you want electronic music that still breathes like a band, this is a strong place to start.

If you want something else:

Vera Baddie · ANNA · Italy 🇮🇹 (2024) A big mainstream rap debut, direct and confident, built for replay value. The official Italian charts and certifications back its impact. (Sung in Italian.)

Masquerade · Cardinals · Ireland 🇮🇪 (2026) A debut album from Cork that leans into drama and melody, with an accordion giving the songs real weight. Released in February 2026.

ELLE · Dagny · Norway 🇳🇴 (2024) Eight tight pop songs with a bright surface and a more reflective second half. Clean writing, no filler.

Carta de Alforria · Plutónio · Portugal 🇵🇹 (2024) A long, varied rap record that moves across styles without losing pace. It sounds like an artist with range and no fear of mixing worlds. (Sung in Portuguese.)

🎬 Films

Love Me Tender · France 🇫🇷 · 2025

One late summer, Clémence tells her ex husband that she is now dating women. He responds by taking custody of their son, and what begins as a legal dispute becomes a long fight to remain a mother without giving up her own life in the process.

Internationally, the film first appeared on the festival at Cannes. (Festival de Cannes) It then travelled through curated international showcases, including The American French Film Festival. (theamericanfrenchfilmfestival.org)

If you want something else:

Late Shift (Heldin) · Switzerland and Germany 🇨🇭🇩🇪 (2025) Everyone knows what it costs to do a job well when the conditions make it almost impossible. That is what happens to Floria in this film. She is a nurse working a late shift in a hospital ward that is full and understaffed.

Armand · Norway 🇳🇴 (2025) A minor incident at a primary school draws the adults around a six-year-old boy into a charged and uncomfortable meeting. What begins as a question about behaviour quickly becomes a battle of fear, status, and projection. Chamber drama with real nerve.

Deaf (Sorda) · Spain 🇪🇸 (2025) A deaf woman and her hearing partner are expecting a child. The pregnancy does not break the relationship, but it reveals every place where the world was not built for both of them equally. A small, careful film about love and the effort it takes to truly share a life.

📺 Series

Dead End (Door Spoor) · Belgium 🇧🇪 · 2025

Ed Bex has an unusual condition: when he puts something in his mouth, he sees its past. He has turned this into a profession, reconstructing the final hours of the deceased for grieving families. When a detective pulls him into a murder investigation, his careful, strange life starts to come apart.

The series is written, created and directed by Malin-Sarah Gozin, who is also the creator of Clan, the Belgian series later adapted by Sharon Horgan as Bad Sisters on Apple TV+. Dead End is darker, funnier and harder to categorise: it is a thriller, a family drama and a very uncomfortable meditation on what we consume and what we would rather not know about it. Variety named it one of the ten best international series of 2025. Original language: Flemish Dutch.

If you want something else:

The Leopard (Il Gattopardo) · Italy 🇮🇹 · 2025: A lavish six-part adaptation of the Lampedusa novel, set in 1860s Sicily as the old aristocracy watches its world end with dignity and nowhere to go.

The Messiah (La Mesías) · Spain 🇪🇸 · 2023: A family story shaped by faith, trauma and performance, told with the bold, unsettling tone of its creators Los Javis.

Baby Reindeer · United Kingdom 🇬🇧 · 2024: A short, intense series about obsession, complicity and the stories people tell themselves to survive both.

📖 Books

El loco de Dios en el fin del mundo (God’s Madman at the End of the World) · Javier Cercas · Spain 🇪🇸 · 2025

Javier Cercas is an atheist and a long time critic of the Church. Still, he joins Pope Francis on a trip to Mongolia, with rare access to the Vatican’s inner circle and one private question that drives the whole book: when his mother dies, will she meet her husband again. What follows is a long, readable inquiry that moves between travel, reporting, and family memory, with one central idea in the background from start to finish: what it would mean for resurrection to be real.

Babelia placed it at number one in its list of the 50 best books of 2025. It also won the Prix du Livre Européen 2025, the Jacques Delors European Book Prize.

Original language: Spanish. Translations: Le Fou de Dieu au bout du monde (FR), Il folle di Dio alla fine del mondo (IT)

If you want something else:

Perfection (Le perfezioni) · Vincenzo Latronico · Italy 🇮🇹 2022: A Berlin life that looks perfect on paper and online, until the city and the couple’s identity start to feel like a template. Shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2025.

Checkout 19 · Claire Louise Bennett · Ireland 🇮🇪 2021: A book about becoming a reader and then becoming a writer, told with a voice that refuses the usual rules of plot and still keeps pulling you forward.

The Employees (De Ansatte) · Olga Ravn · Denmark 🇩🇰 2018: A workplace chorus on a spacecraft, where humans and non humans file short testimonies about routine, objects, and what begins to shift inside them.

🎙️ Podcasts

Talk Eastern Europe · Poland 🇵🇱
A weekly podcast that follows Central and Eastern Europe with solid reporting and clear context. It is a good choice when you want to understand what is changing on the ground, not just react to headlines. (Language: English)

Recommended episodes for this week

Choosing Europe is still at an early stage. It is growing steadily, week by week, and that is the right rhythm.

Thank you for being part of it from the beginning.

See you next Thursday.

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