9 of Top 10 U.S. Smartphone Activations on Christmas Day 2020 Were iPhones

[MacRumors]

A new report by Flurry Analytics states that nine of the top ten smartphones activated on Christmas Day 2020 in the United States were iPhones.

Christmas Day in the United States is the single greatest day for new smartphone activations, so it represents a unique opportunity to analyse consumer preferences.

The iPhone 11 was the most activated device on Christmas Day, with activations five percent higher than the trailing average of the period between December 18 and December 24. This is the second consecutive year that the iPhone 11 has taken the top spot, followed by the iPhone XR. The leading premium device was the iPhone 12 Pro Max, which has continued to see "strong and long-lasting demand."

This ranking is in line with normal trends, as Apple's newer and higher-end devices generally only surge around launch due to early adopters. The iPhone 12 has made gains as users gradually replace their existing devices in the months after launch. Some smartphones, such as the iPhone XR, were not more popular than the trailing average for that device, meaning that it was not necessarily a popular gift for Christmas, but rather just a popular smartphone.

The only non-Apple device to reach the top 10 was LG's budget K30 smartphone. Overall, budget devices dominated the top ten, with the iPhone SE and LG K30 seeing 34 percent and 181 percent surges respectively. Flurry believes that the success of past years' models, such as the iPhone 11 and iPhone XR, indicates that American consumers were more price-sensitive this holiday season.

One notable exception from the top ten is the iPhone 12 mini, which has seemingly failed to catch consumers' attention as much as other devices, perhaps due to its discount of only $100 compared to the larger iPhone 12.

This year, smartphone activations were down 23 percent year-on-year. Flurry speculates that this may be due to financial hardships, more limited family gatherings, or more spread out gift-giving this year.

Flurry Analytics uses data from over one million mobile applications, providing insights from two billion mobile devices per month, and it will soon report on the full month of December to give a fuller picture of smartphone activations.

Article Link: 9 of Top 10 U.S. Smartphone Activations on Christmas Day 2020 Were iPhones

 

[Baymowe335]

Looking for a massive quarter from Apple.

 

[Populus]

It's a pity iPhone 12 mini is selling so poorly...

 

[MrMacintoshIII]

Finally. Proof that people really won’t put their money where their mouth is and buy a small iPhone.

The dream of the mini Pro is dead and I’m ready to move on finally.

typing this from my 12 Pro, came from an 8 and won’t go back.

 

[Baymowe335]

It's a pity iPhone 12 mini is selling so poorly...

I doubt it’s selling “poorly,” but I’ve repeatedly said people want larger screens, not smaller.

 

[yellow8]

Impressive market share. Good job Apple.

 

[benshive]

Finally. Proof that people really won’t put their money where their mouth is and buy a small iPhone.

A lot of people complain because they enjoy complaining. I'm sure most of the people I saw complaining about there not being a new small SE weren't even in the market for one. This is some evidence of that.

 

[RickDEGH]

Pity for the 12 Mini as well. I have it as well and was wishing it would do well, so Apple bring a proper sequel. Besides that, I think stronger iPhone activations are going to be the norm in places like Germany too, and perhaps developing economies with improving standards of living. I travel around and I see all young people clamoring to have an iPhones. It’s the ultimate gadget. Good for Apple’s pocket.

 

[ahostmadsen]

It's a pity iPhone 12 mini is selling so poorly...

Yes. I exchanged on iPhone 12 for an iPhone 12 mini. I really like the small form factor. But this might be the last mini, unfortunately.

 

[apparatchik]

Well done LG!

 

[tobefirst ⚽️]

And the only non-iPhone was an LG? I'm surprised.

 

[MrMacintoshIII]

I still want a 12 Pro mini, because there would be no better feeling camera in the hands. But current battery and camera space limitations make it unreasonable for now I guess. Try again in 2030?

 

[InGen]

Finally. Proof that people really won’t put their money where their mouth is and buy a small iPhone.

The dream of the mini Pro is dead and I’m ready to move on finally.

typing this from my 12 Pro, came from an 8 and won’t go back.

It's a pity iPhone 12 mini is selling so poorly...

To be fair a lot of us were really excited for the 12 Mini, and I like many others even purchased it on launch, only to take it back within the 14-day cooling off period due to battery concerns.

I tried my best and loved the size factor with almost no sacrifices on performance, however, battery was not even lasting a full day with basic use. I took it back within that period and switched over to a 12 Pro.

The iPhone mini will be a great phone one day when power/performance constraints are not an issue

 

[Techwatcher]

Finally. Proof that people really won’t put their money where their mouth is and buy a small iPhone.

The dream of the mini Pro is dead and I’m ready to move on finally.

typing this from my 12 Pro, came from an 8 and won’t go back.

People cried for it, Apple listened and made it, and no one is buying it. It is what it is lol.

 

[MrMacintoshIII]

People cried for it, Apple listened and made it, and no one is buying it. It is what it is lol.

I’m glad they tried. We’ll see mini 2 in 8 years or so perhaps. New moniker though? iPhone XX miniMax Pro!

 

[erniefairchild1]

A lot of people complain because they enjoy complaining. I'm sure most of the people I saw complaining about there not being a new small SE weren't even in the market for one. This is some evidence of that.

I have to say, I love my 12 mini, far more than my previous 11 Pro Max. I hope demand rises so that the size continues to be an option.

But I also long believed that the very loud, often smug, people screaming on message boards such as this about the obvious and huge market for small phones were wrong. Many people use their phone as their sole computer these days. In those cases, a larger screen increases usability.

I love my 12 mini because I don’t use my phone for much outside my home beyond listening to music or thumbing through some websites while on the subway; when I’m home I use my iPad Pro.

 

[4jasontv]

Love my mini. Blame the carriers. I purchased one on Black Friday from T-Mobile as a gift and despite me telling them clearly to ship it slow so I could give it as an Xmas gift they overnighted it. So I returned it since it would be outside the return policy if the color was “wrong”.

 

[Techwatcher]

I’m glad they tried. We’ll see mini 2 in 8 years or so perhaps. New moniker though? iPhone XX miniMax Pro!

miniMax Pro! ? That name is actually believable these days.

 

[ahostmadsen]

I have to say, I love my 12 mini, far more than my previous 11 Pro Max. I hope demand rises so that the size continues to be an option.

But I also long believed that the very loud, often smug, people screaming on message boards such as this about the obvious and huge market for small phones were wrong. Many people use their phone as their sole computer these days. In those cases, a larger screen increases usability.

I love my 12 mini because I don’t use my phone for much outside my home beyond listening to music or thumbing through some websites while on the subway; when I’m home I use my iPad Pro.

Same. I mostly use my iPad Pro. I really just use my iPhone when I don’t have the iPad with me. So, I small phone makes sense. Even the Pro Max is small compared to the iPad.

 

[Techwatcher]

I have to say, I love my 12 mini, far more than my previous 11 Pro Max. I hope demand rises so that the size continues to be an option.

But I also long believed that the very loud, often smug, people screaming on message boards such as this about the obvious and huge market for small phones were wrong. Many people use their phone as their sole computer these days. In those cases, a larger screen increases usability.

I love my 12 mini because I don’t use my phone for much outside my home beyond listening to music or thumbing through some websites while on the subway; when I’m home I use my iPad Pro.

Good explanation. I use my iPad Pro at home as well so the Mini for outside makes sense. I have pretty big hands so I prefer the Max but the convenient size of a Mini can't be beat especially since it's "all screen" now.

 

[BB8]

I returned my mini despite having tiny hands. It felt nice in the hand but I preferred the size of my X for viewing just about anything, especially photos. That and the yellow screen was even worse on the mini than any of the other phones this year (went to store to compare).

 

[DesertNomad]

I think I am the only one here that uses my iPhone (7) to make phone calls. I have no data plan and the only app I ever use is the calculator. I'm glad Apple is doing so well, but I miss the days when they were a computer company.

 

[QuietGamer]

I think the Mini would be in the spot the SE or one of the 8 series occupies due to Touch ID and covid. My DW never seems to put her Mini down unlike the previous 8+ she never seemed to embrace.

 

[Johnny Steps]

It’s a shame about the iPhone 12 Mini, but I’m not surprised. The average consumer who does not care to look into things in depth will most likely go with what catches their attention more which seems to be the bigger phones based on this data.

I myself went from an iPhone XS Max to the 12 Mini because of already owning a 12.9” iPad Pro. In addition, I did further research, weighing pros and cons of every model, and concluded that the smallest model would benefit me. Other people most likely will not do that. People will buy/finance what they think they’ll like more on a whim.

 

[CarpalMac]

I have to say, I love my 12 mini, far more than my previous 11 Pro Max. I hope demand rises so that the size continues to be an option.

But I also long believed that the very loud, often smug, people screaming on message boards such as this about the obvious and huge market for small phones were wrong. Many people use their phone as their sole computer these days. In those cases, a larger screen increases usability.

I love my 12 mini because I don’t use my phone for much outside my home beyond listening to music or thumbing through some websites while on the subway; when I’m home I use my iPad Pro.

Similar to those on here (a public forum no less...) screaming about how important their privacy is.

What you read on sites like this about wants/needs is beyond anecdotal. The numbers prove this.