Apple wins 2017 holiday season for mobiles, Google Pixel is invisible: Report

Apple was the clear winner for the 2017 holiday season when it came to the number devices activated, while Google and its Pixel phones failed to impress.

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Apple was the winner in the 2017 holiday season, but Google and its Pixel series were the big losers. (Image source: Reuters)

Apple iPhone X demand forecast might seen as weak for the future, but that has not stopped the iPhone-maker from dominating the 2017 holiday season in the smartphone category. According to analytics firm Flurry, Apple was the clear winner for the 2017 holiday season when it came to the number devices activated. Unfortunately for Google, it was absent from the list entirely, which does not bode well for the Pixel 2 series The data analytics firm looked at activations of devices throughout the week leading up to Christmas day and the end of Hanukkah.

According to the data shared by Flurry, out of the new devices activated, over 44 per cent were Apple’s iPhones, which is a major chunk of the share. Samsung stood second with 26 per cent share, while the Chinese firm Huawei was number three with 5 per cent share. The analytics firm says Samsung’s activation rate is up around 5 per cent from the 2016 holiday season. Last holiday season was a disaster for Samsung, when the Note 7 had to pulled off production entirely.

The rest of the players in the list are Xiaomi, Motorola, LG, Oppo and Vivo with around 3 per cent activations each, while Vivo has 2 per cent. The firm says Vivo’s growth can be attributed to its rise in China and India. The noticeable name missing from the list is Google and Pixel 2 series. The firm notes, “It is safe to say that due to limited phone models and lack of consumer mindshare, the Pixel is failing to pique users’ interest.” So despite Google pushing Pixel heavily, especially with the kind of digital marketing one has seen with the hashtag TeamPixel, the phone has not done so well.

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Smartphones holidays activations: Apple leads, followed by Samsung. (Data source: Flurry Analytics)

Data from Flurry also gives details around which models of the iPhone had the highest percentage of activations. The iPhone 7 leads with iPhone 6 being number two, and Apple iPhone X coming in third. According to the data, iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and X made up close to a third of all new activations this holiday season, but sales of the older iPhone 7 and iPhone 6 are still going strong.

Given the iPhone 6 has become one of the most affordable option in many markets, it is not surprising to see this device continuing to do well in the holiday season. Flurry’s blogpost notes, “It’s apparent that the consumer concern for cost is still significant, as the iPhone 6 is often marketed as the most affordable option in the regions where it is available.” Finally, the data also shows that devices with a 5-inch to 6.9-inch display have taken over the market with 53 per cent of all holiday activations for 2017 sporting a bigger display.

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