Samsung’s Galaxy S5 “had some success in attracting former iPhone owners across Europe”, Kantar Worldpanel ComTech said, although some markets – such as the UK – are proving tougher to crack.

With May marking the first full month of availability for the South Korean giant’s latest flagship, the research firm said that among Galaxy S5 buyers across the five biggest markets in Europe, 17 per cent switched from Apple.

The device was only the third highest selling smartphone in the UK, behind Apple’s ageing iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c.

Dominic Sunnebo, strategic insight director for Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, said: “In general, consumers buying the Galaxy S5 were primarily attracted by its large screen size. This is something Apple is likely to address with the rumoured larger screen iPhone 6 launch expected in late September.”

In the US, the Galaxy S5 was the second highest selling smartphone in May, coming in behind the iPhone 5s.

In this market, “Apple loyalty is high”, with former iPhone owners making up just 8 per cent of sales – the majority of those switching to the South Korean flagship came from LG and HTC.