UK Telecommunications Mobile Phone & Smart Phones - PPC Market Share Analysis April 2026

Leveraging Adthena’s Whole Market View, this analysis explores recent trends in Google Ads for the UK Mobile Phone & Smart Phones category from the last month. Our Data Analyst, Ask Arlo provides commentary on key findings.

Mobile Phone & Smart Phones – UK

Google AI Overview visibility for Telecommunications Mobile Phone & Smart Phones UK

See how often AIOs appear and how search intent is distributed across buying signals.

AIO Frequency

How often a Google AI overview appears on search terms relevant to this category.

Frequency Percentage
Frequency 18.0669177571
81.9330822429
18%

Complex Query Frequency

A complex query is a longer, more detailed search that often contains multiple keywords, specific conditions, or multi-part questions.

Frequency Percentage
Frequency 57
43
56%

Search Intent Distribution

Breakdown of search queries by their underlying goal.

Intent Distribution
Investigational 20%
Transactional 30%
Navigational 5%
Seasonal 1%
Local 2%
Problem Solving 7%

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Market Exposure

Share of Clicks for top 10 UK Telecommunications Mobile Phone & Smart Phones brands

Here are the Top 10 competitors in the industry by Share of Clicks for the last month.

Share of Clicks - Last month
Share of Clicks - Last month
Domain Share of clicks
o2.co.uk 10.63
vodafone.co.uk 8.93
backmarket.co.uk 8.18
three.co.uk 7.1
carphonewarehouse.com 6.96
sky.com 6.07
ee.co.uk 5.97
lebara.co.uk 5.03
samsung.com 4.76
lycamobile.co.uk 3.47
others 32.9
  • o2.co.uk - 10.63%
  • vodafone.co.uk - 8.93%
  • backmarket.co.uk - 8.18%
  • three.co.uk - 7.1%
  • carphonewarehouse.com - 6.96%
  • sky.com - 6.07%
  • ee.co.uk - 5.97%
  • lebara.co.uk - 5.03%
  • samsung.com - 4.76%
  • lycamobile.co.uk - 3.47%
  • others - 32.9%

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In the competitive landscape of Google’s PPC, O2 leads with a 10.63% click share, followed by Vodafone at 8.93%. Meanwhile, ‘others’ collectively hold a significant 32.90%, showcasing diverse competition.

Market Exposure

Share of Spend for the top 10 UK Telecommunications Mobile Phone & Smart Phones brands

Curious about your market position? Here you can see the Top 10 competitors in the industry by Share of Spend for the last month. 

Share of Spend - Last Month
Share of Spend - Last Month
Date backmarket.co.uk o2.co.uk vodafone.co.uk three.co.uk sky.com carphonewarehouse.com ee.co.uk samsung.com mobiles.co.uk uswitch.com
2026/04/01 9.57% 13.9% 4.8% 2.98% 6.4% 10.22% 5.35% 3.53% 4.9% 3.5%
2026/04/02 8.57% 11.48% 5.48% 7.46% 6.7% 10.67% 5.85% 2.68% 4.31% 2.43%
2026/04/03 10% 11.63% 6.21% 7.43% 6.49% 7.22% 5.01% 2.13% 3.77% 3.74%
2026/04/04 7.99% 11.51% 9.72% 7.09% 5.45% 8.24% 4.9% 2.77% 4.64% 3.91%
2026/04/05 5.7% 11.75% 9.33% 5.79% 5.71% 8.09% 5.27% 2.54% 4.38% 4.66%
2026/04/06 6.74% 10.5% 7.21% 6.37% 4.95% 9.18% 5.83% 2.18% 4.54% 4.7%
2026/04/07 6.72% 10.75% 5.87% 5.89% 4.79% 9.36% 5.64% 2.12% 4.65% 4.41%
2026/04/08 6.51% 10.84% 7.25% 5.33% 4.46% 7.74% 5.32% 2.67% 4.49% 4.22%
2026/04/09 6.66% 10.03% 4.82% 5.68% 5.03% 9.44% 5.11% 2.85% 5.13% 4.78%
2026/04/10 4.61% 11.99% 4.84% 4.97% 5.12% 9.31% 4.99% 2.93% 5.06% 5.76%
2026/04/11 5.17% 13.8% 7.23% 5.38% 4.7% 6.6% 5.13% 3.4% 4.53% 5.8%
2026/04/12 5.08% 13.7% 8.21% 5.65% 5.63% 7.75% 5.43% 3.38% 4.14% 5.66%
2026/04/13 4.92% 13.46% 6.39% 6.83% 7.43% 6.44% 5.41% 2.99% 3.75% 4.18%
2026/04/14 7.41% 12.39% 6.24% 9.04% 5.63% 8.73% 4.9% 2.97% 3.28% 3.62%
2026/04/15 6.95% 13.46% 5.8% 7.87% 6.06% 6.84% 5.43% 3.55% 3.77% 3.31%
2026/04/16 6.79% 12.98% 5.68% 8.07% 6.51% 8.98% 5.21% 4.08% 4.29% 2.86%
2026/04/17 8.07% 11.28% 5.58% 7.96% 6.58% 10.14% 4.7% 4.3% 4.68% 2.73%
2026/04/18 4.97% 11.02% 6.6% 7.93% 5.91% 12.22% 4.59% 4.16% 5.35% 2.91%
2026/04/19 4.58% 13.48% 7.17% 8.45% 6.55% 8.08% 5.33% 3.99% 3.98% 3.92%
2026/04/20 6.23% 11.7% 6.37% 6.02% 6.44% 9.63% 5.39% 4.61% 4.62% 4.34%
2026/04/21 8.5% 12.08% 6.68% 6.67% 5.07% 9.95% 5.46% 3.67% 5.35% 3.74%
2026/04/22 10.56% 12.18% 5.81% 6.99% 5.64% 9.09% 5.14% 3.98% 4.81% 3.06%
2026/04/23 7.57% 11.94% 6.69% 7.5% 4.67% 10.57% 5.55% 5% 5.01% 3.42%
2026/04/24 8.16% 11.35% 6.87% 8.4% 5.45% 7.82% 5.73% 5.05% 5.29% 3.69%
2026/04/25 6.62% 13.5% 8.27% 7.37% 5.74% 6.91% 5.32% 4.53% 4.87% 3.52%
2026/04/26 8.04% 12.89% 6.71% 5.95% 4.93% 8.06% 5.61% 4.15% 5.03% 3.79%
2026/04/27 5.23% 10.42% 7.35% 5.82% 5.8% 8.37% 5.62% 6.66% 5.81% 3.9%
2026/04/28 4.17% 12.34% 11.17% 7.46% 6.06% 6.62% 6.73% 6.09% 4.62% 4.5%
2026/04/29 6.96% 11.5% 9.97% 7.45% 6.21% 9.33% 5.42% 5.18% 5.26% 3.49%
2026/04/30 11.24% 10.57% 7.73% 7.42% 7.26% 6.59% 5.35% 5.34% 4.65% 3.39%
  • backmarket.co.uk
  • o2.co.uk
  • vodafone.co.uk
  • three.co.uk
  • sky.com
  • carphonewarehouse.com
  • ee.co.uk
  • samsung.com
  • mobiles.co.uk
  • uswitch.com

Copyright © Adthena. All rights reserved.

April saw dynamic shifts in PPC spend share. O2 led consistently, peaking mid-month. Backmarket and Vodafone showed fluctuations, with Backmarket ending strong. Carphone Warehouse surged mid-month, while Samsung and Uswitch remained steady.

Market Exposure

Competitor Count for UK Telecommunications Mobile Phone & Smart Phones

Ever wondered how many competitors you’re up against in your industry? Well look no further, here we can see the number of advertisers bidding over the last month. 

Competitor Count - Last month
Competitor Count - Last month
Date Competitor Count
2026/04/01 296
2026/04/02 308
2026/04/03 312
2026/04/04 305
2026/04/05 331
2026/04/06 323
2026/04/07 315
2026/04/08 314
2026/04/09 322
2026/04/10 314
2026/04/11 307
2026/04/12 310
2026/04/13 305
2026/04/14 303
2026/04/15 304
2026/04/16 302
2026/04/17 298
2026/04/18 294
2026/04/19 298
2026/04/20 304
2026/04/21 293
2026/04/22 305
2026/04/23 301
2026/04/24 307
2026/04/25 301
2026/04/26 295
2026/04/27 302
2026/04/28 298
2026/04/29 310
2026/04/30 304

Copyright © Adthena. All rights reserved.

April saw a dynamic shift in advertisers, starting at 296 and peaking at 331. The month concluded with 304, reflecting a vibrant competitive landscape.

Campaign Efficiency

Market Loss & Market Gains for UK Telecommunications Mobile Phone & Smart Phones

Here we’re looking at the Top 10 biggest industry movers by market share gains and losses for the last 30 days.

Market Loss & Market Gains - Last month
Market Loss & Market Gains - Last month
Name Market Trend
samsung.com 2.93%
three.co.uk 1.39%
lycamobile.co.uk 0.49%
backmarket.co.uk 0.48%
tescomobile.com 0.47%
o2.co.uk -0.37%
talkmobile.co.uk -0.43%
giffgaff.com -0.51%
uswitch.com -0.58%
lebara.co.uk -2.22%

Copyright © Adthena. All rights reserved.

Samsung.com surged with a 2.93% click share increase, while lebara.co.uk faced a 2.22% decline.

Campaign Efficiency

UK Telecommunications Mobile Phone & Smart Phones Share of Impressions

Take a look at the Top 10 competitors in the industry by Share of Impressions over the last month.

Date backmarket.co.uk vodafone.co.uk sky.com three.co.uk carphonewarehouse.com samsung.com o2.co.uk ee.co.uk mobiles.co.uk uswitch.com
2026/04/01 21.02% 5.77% 5.05% 2.49% 7.35% 3.53% 7.35% 4.42% 3.79% 2.88%
2026/04/02 19.22% 6.05% 5.09% 5.61% 7.64% 2.92% 5.91% 5.89% 3.31% 2.41%
2026/04/03 22.15% 6.98% 4.86% 5.67% 5.95% 2.32% 5.38% 4.03% 3.1% 3.16%
2026/04/04 18.31% 11.12% 4.47% 5.86% 6.36% 3.12% 5.42% 4.47% 3.59% 3.57%
2026/04/05 13.75% 10.48% 5.06% 4.5% 6.35% 3.04% 5.62% 4.36% 3.63% 4.34%
2026/04/06 16.15% 8.35% 4.03% 5.01% 7.69% 2.57% 5.16% 5.23% 3.84% 3.99%
2026/04/07 16.22% 7.09% 3.68% 4.34% 7.74% 2.6% 5.13% 4.86% 3.92% 4.11%
2026/04/08 15.83% 8.02% 3.24% 3.89% 6.27% 3.08% 5.08% 4.48% 3.73% 4.29%
2026/04/09 17.28% 5.51% 3.77% 4.09% 7.41% 3.45% 4.7% 3.84% 4.21% 4.29%
2026/04/10 12.44% 5.53% 3.87% 4.17% 7.08% 3.59% 6.19% 4.22% 4.44% 5.97%
2026/04/11 13.41% 8.2% 3.89% 4.14% 6.04% 3.91% 6.72% 3.61% 3.99% 6.24%
2026/04/12 12.33% 9.09% 4.85% 4.52% 6.76% 3.98% 6.64% 4.08% 3.78% 6.02%
2026/04/13 13.16% 7.11% 5.93% 5.86% 5.32% 3.51% 6.35% 4.86% 3.59% 4.75%
2026/04/14 18.72% 6.32% 4.49% 7.47% 7.08% 3.33% 6.1% 3.73% 2.87% 3.27%
2026/04/15 17.4% 6.19% 4.52% 6.15% 5.65% 3.9% 6.72% 4.14% 3.34% 3.55%
2026/04/16 16.8% 6.39% 4.95% 6.44% 6.82% 4.44% 7.24% 3.91% 3.62% 2.82%
2026/04/17 19.06% 6.22% 4.84% 5.89% 7.24% 4.63% 5.5% 3.57% 3.65% 2.8%
2026/04/18 12.26% 7.9% 4.67% 6.22% 9.25% 4.6% 6.95% 3.52% 4.31% 2.92%
2026/04/19 11.34% 8.39% 5.04% 6.4% 6.92% 4.52% 7.73% 4.38% 3.4% 3.87%
2026/04/20 15.8% 7.53% 4.97% 4.61% 7.36% 5.08% 5.62% 3.91% 3.74% 4.34%
2026/04/21 20.97% 7.88% 3.77% 4.86% 7.69% 4.3% 5.47% 4.02% 4.33% 3.64%
2026/04/22 24.69% 5.95% 4.17% 4.9% 6.31% 4.47% 5.14% 3.73% 3.76% 3.17%
2026/04/23 19.6% 7.02% 3.63% 5.75% 8.21% 5.55% 5.47% 3.92% 4.4% 3.18%
2026/04/24 20.2% 7.39% 4.06% 6.36% 6.45% 5.59% 5.22% 4.45% 4.29% 3.46%
2026/04/25 16.88% 8.95% 4.6% 5.64% 5.91% 5.14% 6.49% 3.87% 4.36% 3.46%
2026/04/26 19.46% 7.52% 3.78% 4.5% 6.05% 4.75% 5.8% 3.74% 4.27% 4.01%
2026/04/27 13.21% 9.52% 4.66% 4.24% 6.59% 6.57% 5.01% 4.07% 4.98% 3.53%
2026/04/28 10.57% 14.06% 4.87% 5.54% 5.72% 6.63% 6.05% 5.09% 4.05% 4.45%
2026/04/29 17.34% 12.29% 4.82% 5.47% 6.55% 5.51% 5.58% 3.79% 4.28% 3.56%
2026/04/30 25.68% 8.84% 5.37% 4.96% 4.95% 4.94% 4.82% 4.11% 3.68% 3.21%
  • backmarket.co.uk
  • vodafone.co.uk
  • sky.com
  • three.co.uk
  • carphonewarehouse.com
  • samsung.com
  • o2.co.uk
  • ee.co.uk
  • mobiles.co.uk
  • uswitch.com

Copyright © Adthena. All rights reserved.

Backmarket.co.uk led April with fluctuating impressions, peaking at 25.68% on the 30th. Vodafone.co.uk and Sky.com showed steady gains, while Three.co.uk and Carphonewarehouse.com experienced moderate fluctuations. The month concluded with Backmarket.co.uk dominating.

Campaign Efficiency

Google Text Ad Copy Insights & Creative Trends for UK Telecommunications Mobile Phone & Smart Phones

Ever wondered how your rivals’ ads are doing? Here we can see the top-performing ads in the industry over the last month.

Google Text Ad Copy Insights & Creative Trends for UK Telecommunications Mobile Phone & Smart Phones - Last month
  1. 1
    O2 SIM Only Deals - Limited Time Only https://www.o2.co.uk

    Affordable SIM Only Plans. Keep Your Phone & Start Saving With An O2 SIM Contract Today

  2. 2
    Vodafone UK Top Up Credit Online https://www.ontopup.com

    Top up your Vodafone UK mobile phone credit here instantly. Simply enter your phone number, select the topup credit value you would like, and buy You can add multiple phones per account, even ones on different...

  3. 3
    Phones On Sky Mobile | Sky Mobile Deals & Offers https://www.sky.com › phone › deals

    Stream Sky Apps Without Using Your Data. Roll Spare Data Into Your Piggybank Each Month.

  4. 4
    SIM Only Deals | SIM Only Contracts, Plans and Pay As You Go | Three https://www.three.co.uk

    Get Your New SIM Sooner With Free Next Working Day Delivery. Join Three And Save Today.

  5. 5
    Vodafone Official Site https://www.vodafone.co.uk

    The Best Mobile Phone Deals — Get A New Phone Every Year Or Keep Your Phone Lasting Longer With Vodafone EVO. Get The...

Copyright © Adthena. All rights reserved.

In the competitive landscape of mobile telecommunications, O2, Vodafone, Sky, and Three captivate audiences with compelling offers. O2 and Three emphasize affordability and convenience with SIM-only deals, while Vodafone and Sky highlight flexibility and data-saving features, appealing to diverse consumer needs.

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