Samsung takes on Apple with launch of 60 high-street stores in UK and Europe Samsung has teamed up with Carphone Warehouse to open 60 stores Stores will open across seven European markets in the next three months Include UK, Ireland, Germany, Spain, Sweden and the Netherlands Stores will sell Samsung products in a bid to rival Apple on the high street The announcement follows the launch of three stores in Spain last year Samsung is planning to go head-to-head on the high street with rival Apple by opening a host of stores in the UK and Europe. The South Korean firm has teamed up with Carphone Warehouse to open 60 stores in seven markets including the UK, Ireland, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Sweden and the Netherlands. Stores will sell Samsung's full range of mobiles, tablet computers, laptops and wearables and will be rolled out over the next three months. Samsung has partnered with Carphone Warehouse to open 60 stores across the UK, Ireland, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Sweden and the Netherlands in a bid to rival Apple on the high street. The announcement follows the launch of three stores in Spain, pictured, last year The South Korean firm already has Samsung Experience stores in the U.S. as concessions within consumer electronics giant Best Buy. It recently opened a Samsung Experience site in Westfield shopping centre in Stratford, London. Samsung also has a successful franchise chain in Thailand. In 2008, Samsung launched an ill-fated venture with U.S. consumer electronics group Best Buy. It placed its store estate into the joint venture, but bought Best Buy out last August as the U.S. firm retrenched amid tough retail conditions in Europe. UK-based Carphone Warehouse was chosen as Samsung's 'preferred partner' to launch and run the stores in Europe under a five-year contract. A third of the stores will be launched in Britain. The announcement follows a successful trial with three stores that opened in Spain last Autumn. It will see Samsung step up the pressure on Apple, which already has a successful global retail store portfolio. Samsung, which overtook Apple as the biggest smartphone seller in 2011, said the deal will create a 'powerful new retail concept'. The firm is also said to be planning to open stores across the U.S., reportedly hiring former Apple Store designer Tim Gudgel as part of the push. The stores, similar to the one in Spain pictured, will sell Samsung mobiles, tablets, laptops and wearables, and offer customer support. They will not sell Samsung's range of TVs and white goods, such as fridges, washing machines and vacuum cleaners Carphone Warehouse will launch and run the stores in Europe for five years. A third of the stores will be launched in Britain The group already has Samsung Experience stores in the U.S. as concessions within consumer electronics giant Best Buy. The tech giant recently opened a Samsung Experience site in Westfield shopping centre in Stratford, London, too. Elsewhere, it has a successful franchise chain in Thailand, but said the move into Europe is its first major roll out of standalone shops. The stores planned with Carphone Warehouse will focus specifically on its mobile products and not its range of TVs and white goods, such as fridges, washing machines and vacuum cleaners. It is hoped more stores could be launched across Europe under the deal. Shares in Carphone rose 8 per cent after the tie-up was announced. Carphone already runs around 2,000 retail stores throughout Europe under the Carphone Warehouse and Phone House brands. However, the Samsung deal is not the first time it has joined forces with other firms to help them expand retail presences, having previously launched an ill-fated venture with U.S. consumer electronics group Best Buy. It placed its store estate into the joint venture in 2008, but bought Best Buy out last August as the U.S. firm retrenched amid tough retail conditions in Europe. Apple's Regent Street store in London. Samsung overtook Apple as the biggest smartphone seller in 2011, and is hoping to cement this lead with the launch of its new stores. As of the end of 2013, Apple had 416 stores worldwide