Apple beat Samsung on device activations this Christmas

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Apple had a heckuva Christmas.
Photo: Flurry

More iPhones and iPads were activated over the festive season than any other company’s handsets and tablets, according to data published by analytics firm Flurry.

Analyzing data about phone and app activation throughout the week leading up to Christmas day and the start of Chanukah, Flurry found that 44 percent of all new activations were for Apple devices — more than twice the number of nearest rival, Samsung.

By comparison, Samsung accounted for 21 percent of activations, marking an increase of 1 percent from last year. In third and fourth place were Huawei and LG, which was impressive given that neither manufacturer had a best-selling device. Google’s Pixel and Pixel XL handsets failed to make an impact over the holidays.

While Apple’s lead is certainly impressive, however, it’s worth noting that Samsung is slowly but surely making headway. As can be seen from the graphic below, the South Korean tech giant has seen increased holiday activations over the past few years.

activations
How activations compare with previous years.
Photo: Flurry

A 1 percent gain on Apple is unlikely to have Tim Cook shaking in his boots, but it’s likely the number would have been even higher had the Note 7 not been such an unmitigated disaster for Samsung.

In terms of apps, Christmas Day was the biggest day of the season for app downloads. Around twice as many apps were installed on Christmas Day as the average day in December, with the most popular categories being Messaging & Social, Games, Music, Media, Entertainment, and Kids and Family apps.

Did you get a new mobile device (or other gadget, for that matter) for the holidays? Leave your comments below.

Source: Flurry

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