We’re all well aware of how successful Samsung’s Android smartphones have been in recent years, but new research from produce and price comparison website Idealo puts the Korean company’s dominance into perspective.

Over five quarters between Q4 2011 and Q4 2012, Samsung devices accounted for a full 50% of Android smartphone “clicks” on Idealo. What’s more, the company has produced no less than 12 of the top 20 smartphones.

Ahead of the much-anticipated unveiling of the Galaxy S IV, Idealo decided to analyze “the trends and evolution of the European online smartphone market.” The company used more than nine million clicks from mobile phones in five countries, including the United Kingdom, Austria, France, Germany, and Italy.

What Idealo found is that Samsung has a massive smartphone presence in Europe. Smartphones account for 90% of mobile phone clicks on Idealo, increasing 10% over the five quarters included in the study, and 56% of those come from Android devices. And over the past 15 months, more than half of Android clicks have been from a Samsung handset.

Some of Samsung’s most popular devices, according to Idealo, include the Galaxy Ace, the Galaxy S II, the Galaxy S III, and the Galaxy Note II.

“Samsung’s success would appear to be aided by two key factors, namely their wide range and the competitive prices of their products,” said Christoph Hitchen, spokesman for Idealo.

“With models beginning at under 85 Pound Sterling and their high-end range starting at between 350 and 425 Pound Sterling, some 175 quid cheaper than a comparable iPhone, their popularity amongst Idealo users therefore comes as no surprise.”

But it’s actually high-end smartphones that are more popular among Idealo users. In Q4 2012, visitors were 3.5% more likely to click on high-end smartphones over low-end models, despite high-end price tags increasing by 20% during the five-month period.

Android itself is also growing well in Europe, the report shows, with 13.4% growth over the five quarters.

• SourceIdealo