Apple Again Tops Holiday Sales With 44% of All New Mobile Device Activations

[Baymowe335]

Uh Chris... this isn't an OS analysis. That would be iOS v Android. This is an OEM analysis... Apple, Samsung, Huawei, etc. Also this analysis is reporting from Flurry, not Apple. Basically, you're reading it wrong.

His bias is clouding his judgment.
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1) Yep, a flaw Apple has dealt with for years alongside Mac OS

2) Really? And let me guess, you think JD Power and other reviewers are independent and-unbiased too? BAHAHAH

Yes, everything is a conspiracy.

Just look at Apple's income statement. They are killing it.

 

[iReality85]

Does Apple know they can't just manipulate stats into becoming number 1?

These numbers were compiled by Yahoo, not Apple.

Yep, this is typical Apple marketing spew.

These numbers were compiled by Yahoo, not Apple.

It's the only way Apple can present data that doesn't make them look like a total nothingburger these days.

These numbers were compiled by Yahoo, not Apple.

 

[jonblatho]

1) Yep, a flaw Apple has dealt with for years alongside Mac OS

2) Really? And let me guess, you think JD Power and other reviewers are independent and-unbiased too? BAHAHAH

What are you even on about? This is statistical analysis of data. This lists share of activations by manufacturer, which is a common and standard way of measuring an individual manufacturer’s success. It’s been done for years, my dude.

No, iOS doesn’t have 80% (or whatever it is) of the market share like Android does. The data doesn’t claim that, either. You’re not revealing any groundbreaking information here, though you certainly seem to think you are.

 

[Makayla]

No Google Pixel?

 

[chriscrowlee]

The way you choose to assume that Apple had anything to do with the way these numbers are presented tells me that you’re biased towards Android. I don’t have any evidence to back that assertion, but apparently we don’t need any evidence- we can just make stuff up and pretend it’s fact!

Not saying Apple directly. Just like here on these forums. The forums presented data that showed obvious agenda. The forums (and the replies based on all the "apple can do no wrong - apple is my god") shows obvious bias. I have no bias either way. I prefer iOS but the world prefers Android. It's not a new thing. You can go to any Android forum and see data showing how much better Android is doing than iOS. Platforms sell, and Android and iOS are platforms. If you're incapable of seeing that this is taking a specific piece of data and trying to make it seem like Apple is dominating the industry, then you're a lost cause. The bottom line is yeah, Apple's hardware is outselling Samsung this quarter, but that's because just like a PC people have choices of dozens of hardware. But hey, Apple has spun this data for years.... and the proportionate marketshare globally has shrunk year after year after year. Can Apple survive with 10% marketshare? Absolutely. But it's just like a PC vs Mac... if you've got an Apple logo on your device, you still only make up 10% of the market be it a phone or a computer.

 

[jonblatho]

Not saying Apple directly. Just like here on these forums. The forums presented data that showed obvious agenda. The forums (and the replies based on all the "apple can do no wrong - apple is my god") shows obvious bias. I have no bias either way. I prefer iOS but the world prefers Android. It's not a new thing. You can go to any Android forum and see data showing how much better Android is doing than iOS. Platforms sell, and Android and iOS are platforms. If you're incapable of seeing that this is taking a specific piece of data and trying to make it seem like Apple is dominating the industry, then you're a lost cause. The bottom line is yeah, Apple's hardware is outselling Samsung this quarter, but that's because just like a PC people have choices of dozens of hardware. But hey, Apple has spun this data for years.... and the proportionate marketshare globally has shrunk year after year after year. Can Apple survive with 10% marketshare? Absolutely. But it's just like a PC vs Mac... if you've got an Apple logo on your device, you still only make up 10% of the market be it a phone or a computer.

Dude, there’s no agenda. Apple is dominating this industry financially to an extent virtually unheard of since the Standard Oil days. Apple’s not the only one selling phones—not by a long shot—but they are making the most money off of them, by a lot. Apple isn’t the world’s most valuable company by market capitalization because investors just feel like it. They’re a stunningly successful company despite not having the #1 spot in apparently the only statistic that matters, market share, in either of their mobile or desktop OSes.

And once again, as multiple people have pointed out now, Apple had exactly nothing to do with this report or the data presented within it except making/selling the phones from which the data was measured.

Why are you here?

I have no bias either way. I prefer iOS

Alright, champ. That’s just a beautiful juxtaposition of words.

 

[chriscrowlee]

What are you even on about? This is statistical analysis of data. This lists share of activations by manufacturer, which is a common and standard way of measuring an individual manufacturer’s success. It’s been done for years, my dude.

No, iOS doesn’t have 80% (or whatever it is) of the market share like Android does. The data doesn’t claim that, either. You’re not revealing any groundbreaking information here, though you certainly seem to think you are.

Right. If the story had said "iOS makes up 10% of activations this holiday season, Android makes up 90%" that would also have been accurate. However, the way the information was presented was done so to push Apple. What do you not understand about that? Nevermind this is a lost cause. This is precisely why I'm tired of these sorts of articles. This is the group I'm lumped into when people think of Apple customers... people who think Apple can do no wrong, people think that they can twist statistics to make any statement become reality. This is why Apple isn't held accountable for anything they do. This is why Apple execs sit in their board meetings and laugh, because they know people will blindly eat up anything they spew, and buy any product they push. They're happy at 10% marketshare because they know the base, or a majority of it, will buy something not because its good, but because Apple says it's good.

 

[justperry]

Ok, but it does not say if these devices were actually "new-new" or hand-me-downs.
In our family, there were 3 activations of iOS devices at xmas:
Two iPhone 5S
One iPhone 6
None new, not even close to new, bought new when the devices were launched.

So, were these included in the above reported numbers?
The article explains activations of device not for sale with "but it's still readily available internationally from third-party resellers who offer it at a discounted price".
Yeah, well, let us see the number of 5s activated during xmas too. Because I think a lot of these newly activated device are in fact hand-me downs, and keeping that in mind, these numbers aren't all that fantastic.

My guess is that only around 60% of these devices are new, as in brand new, the rest are hand me downs reused for grandparents and children, that's what it was like in our family but since they've been wiped, they were reactivated during xmas.

Yup, probably true, apple does not sell new iPhone's 6 and lower, there are lots of refurbished/retouched iPhones for sale, especially in the poorer countries, heck, even in the U.S. and Europe/West there are still lots of them, new battery is all it takes.

 

[chriscrowlee]

Dude, there’s no agenda. Apple is dominating this industry financially to an extent virtually unheard of since the Standard Oil days. Apple’s not the only one selling phones—not by a long shot—but they are making the most money off of them, by a lot. Apple isn’t the world’s most valuable company by market capitalization because investors just feel like it. They’re a stunningly successful company despite not having the #1 spot in apparently the only statistic that matters, market share, in either of their mobile or desktop OSes.

Why are you here?

Wait, so because Apple ONLY sells one phone (yeah I know now there are several, but for general purposes they sell one), vs Samsung who sells computers, phones, refrigerators, washers, dryers, memory, projectors, printers, etc, you're comparing their overall financials to Apple? Riiight, that's logical.

Why am I here? There you have it, I was waiting for you to say that. Because I have a realistic standard to which I hold facts to, and Apple to, therefor I shouldn't be here? Because I don't just blindly accept anything that Apple or the fanatic community spews, I shouldn't be here? I suppose Hitler had his inner circle too and those who questioned what he said were asked the same thing, like most cults or fanatical groups.

 

[jonblatho]

Right. If the story had said "iOS makes up 10% of activations this holiday season, Android makes up 90%" that would also have been accurate. However, the way the information was presented was done so to push Apple. What do you not understand about that? Nevermind this is a lost cause. This is precisely why I'm tired of these sorts of articles. This is the group I'm lumped into when people think of Apple customers... people who think Apple can do no wrong, people think that they can twist statistics to make any statement become reality. This is why Apple isn't held accountable for anything they do. This is why Apple execs sit in their board meetings and laugh, because they know people will blindly eat up anything they spew, and buy any product they push. They're happy at 10% marketshare because they know the base, or a majority of it, will buy something not because its good, but because Apple says it's good.

No, that wouldn’t be accurate. iOS made up 44% of activations this holiday season, as is clearly shown by the data as Apple’s the only manufacturer. Android made up the vast majority of the remaining 56%, though there are probably a few BlackBerrys and Windows Phones in there somewhere…let’s be generous and give them a combined 1%. That leaves Android with 55%.

Apple is a nothingburger and addition is hard, apparently.

 

[Michael Scrip]

I fit in here. I got two 7's for my girls.

iPhone 7 is a great phone.

What phones did your girls have before?

 

[deanthedev]

Can't help but notice again the way the numbers are presented look good for Apple. But in reality, it shows Android activations surpassed Apple if you look at the actual numbers. Does Apple know they can't just manipulate stats into becoming number 1?

So the chart shows 44% for Apple, and I’m assuming 56% for Android (based on your comment).

So inquiring minds want to know: where is the supposed 85% Android vs 15% iOS market share that Android fans always bring up?

I’ll tell you why - because that’s a made up statistic by people who need to go back and retake Grade 6 math.

 

[Jax44]

Yep, this is typical Apple marketing spew (yeah I know it's a third party, but you can easily look at the way the data is presented and see who the bias is toward). If you look at actual sales, Android OS devices outsell Apple something like 19 to 1. It's not even a competition anymore like it was 5 years ago. LOL. The world has spoken and Android is the Windows and iOS is the Mac. It'll always be that way. Apple isn't going anywhere but Android is always going to be the dominant force by far.
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Did I say anything to the contrary? It's the only way Apple can present data that doesn't make them look like a total nothingburger these days. Why do you think whenever Apple talks about Mac marketshare they compare to makers not OS... when in reality people buying PCs are buying windows computers, not for the brand of hardward. Mac vs PC Windows and iOS vs Android are the only comparisons that matter anymore. To compare based on anything else is just silly and trying to twist the numbers to support a position that's just not there.

I like mustard with my baloney

 

[falainber]

It's getting somewhat ridiculous. What if next year iPhone 6 will again be the most popular model? Already iOS users on average are becoming the owners of the most outdated phone models.

 

[chriscrowlee]

Alright, champ. That’s just a beautiful juxtaposition of words.

PS - if you don't comprehend the ability to have a preference without having a bias, never ever become a journalist, well unless you're going to work for a cable news agency. If you think someone having a preference makes them unable to be unbiased, that's funny.

 

[Glockworkorange]

Apple's iPhone and iPad were again the most popular mobile devices gifted around the world during the holidays this year according to new data shared today by Yahoo-owned mobile analytics firm Flurry.

In the week leading up to Christmas and the end of Hanukkah (12/19 to 12/25), Flurry took a look at all new smartphone and tablet activations to see which devices consumers were purchasing most.

44 percent of new device activations were Apple devices, while Samsung devices accounted for 26 percent of activations. Huawei, Xiaomi, Motorola, LG, OPPO, and Vivo trailed behind Apple and Samsung with each responsible for 2 to 5 percent of new device activations.

The 2017 activation numbers closely mirror the activation numbers we saw from Flurry in 2016. Apple also saw the highest number of device activations -- 44 percent -- during the same time period last year, followed by Samsung at 21 percent.Broken down, it's actually Apple's older devices that saw the highest number of new activations rather than the newer devices. 15.1 percent of activations were for the iPhone 7, followed by 14.9 percent for the iPhone 6. Apple's flagship device, the iPhone X, was popular though, making up 14.7 percent of new activations. The iPhone 8 was responsible for 8.1 percent of new activations, and the iPhone 8 Plus was responsible for 8.7 percent.

It's important to note that Flurry examined worldwide activations, where older, more affordable devices are popular. Apple no longer sells the iPhone 6, for example, but it's still readily available internationally from third-party resellers who offer it at a discounted price.

When looking at device size, "phablets" or devices that measure in at 5 to 6.9 inches, made up 53 percent of all new device activations, while smaller phones (3.5 to 4.9 inches) made up 35 percent of activations. Full-sized tablets like the iPad (with only cellular models counted here) were responsible for 8 percent of activations. Interest in larger devices has grown significantly over the course of the last two years.

To gather its data, Flurry measured smart device activations and app downloads from the more than one million mobile apps that use the Flurry Analytics service. Flurry says it has insight into more than 2.1 billion devices around the world.

Article Link: Apple Again Tops Holiday Sales With 44% of All New Mobile Device Activations

What holiday are we referring to? Festivus?

 

[avanpelt]

Assuming these numbers are accurate, this has to be the first time that last year's phone (iPhone 7) had a higher percentage of activations leading up to Christmas than the current year's phones (both iPhone 8 and iPhone X). Apple knows the true numbers; but if these numbers are, in fact, correct, I would think that might concern them.

 

[chriscrowlee]

What holiday are we referring to? Festivus?

We're not allowed to say Christmas, remember?

I'm absolutely SHOCKED that Apple's once a year device release which was not widely available in stores until December 1-20 sold more than Samsung's twice a year device release which has been widely available in stores for 6 months. Absolutely shocked... LOL /s

 

[jonblatho]

Wait, so because Apple ONLY sells one phone (yeah I know now there are several, but for general purposes they sell one), vs Samsung who sells computers, phones, refrigerators, washers, dryers, memory, projectors, printers, etc, you're comparing their overall financials to Apple? Riiight, that's logical.

I’m referring to the smartphone industry, so that isolates Samsung Mobile from the rest of Samsung. Apple runs away with >80% of that industry’s profits each and every quarter. But even then, you played yourself with that argument—you only helped prove my point, really. Apple, a far more specialized company than Samsung, makes substantially more money than Samsung does (both in mobile and in general).

Don’t believe me? For FY2016, all of Samsung had a net income of about $27.2 billion. All of Apple? $45.7 billion.

Why am I here? There you have it, I was waiting for you to say that. Because I have a realistic standard to which I hold facts to, and Apple to, therefor I shouldn't be here? Because I don't just blindly accept anything that Apple or the fanatic community spews, I shouldn't be here? I suppose Hitler had his inner circle too and those who questioned what he said were asked the same thing, like most cults or fanatical groups.

I didn’t just claim 44% = 10%:

Right. If the story had said "iOS makes up 10% of activations this holiday season, Android makes up 90%"

 

[chriscrowlee]

Assuming these numbers are accurate, this has to be the first time that last year's phone (iPhone 7) had a higher percentage of activations leading up to Christmas than the current year's phones (both iPhone 8 and iPhone X). Apple knows the true numbers; but if these numbers are, in fact, correct, I would think that might concern them.

If they sell 1,000,000 devices at 80% profit, they still do better than selling 10,000,000 devices at 10% profit. However, in their minds, those willing to buy their phones will never leave, so they think they are secure to just keep the course, but as we saw with other brands past (Palm, Blackberry, etc), that's absolutely not how consumer electronics work. And I think they're seeing that with iPhone X. I think they're becoming concerned now. Their growth has slowed. And when was the last time they came out with a hot new iPhone were you able to walk in and get any color\config 3 weeks after launch? And this was supposedly going to be an overly constrained model.

 

[jonblatho]

If they sell 1,000,000 devices at 80% profit, they still do better than selling 10,000,000 devices at 10% profit.

Not your first mathematically incorrect statement of the day.

 

[deanthedev]

On another note, Localytics is claiming the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL recorded the highest numbers of activations over Christmas with the iPhone X 3rd and iPhone 8 4th.

Now THAT’S what I call a fabricated report. I’d love to see what conditions they used to come up with those figures. Probably something like: “Phone activations for a one-day period in a 10 block radius around Googles headquarters in Mountain View for people who took advantage of Googles free upgrade program.”

 

[chriscrowlee]

Don’t believe me? For FY2016, all of Samsung had a net income of about $27.2 billion. All of Apple? $45.7 billion.

Oh you mean Samsung ELECTRONICS? LOL, thanks, my point has been made.

FYI in case you're keeping track, Samsung Companies made $501 billion USD in 2016. I think you're confused if you think Samsung Electronics accounts for all of Samsung. You might want to spend a little time in South Korea (or anywhere outside of the US) and you'll quickly realize how insignificant Apple is in the world. Samsung is like if you combined Apple and Proctor and Gamble and GE and Chevron and HP and McDonalds and Burger King and Dell all together into one company. Because Samsung divides their business models, they appear smaller when compared on the stock market (hence how Apple is titled worlds largest company).
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Not your first mathematically incorrect statement of the day.

It's not math, it's general manufacturing 101. I wouldn't expect you to understand unless Apple were to put it into a commercial and spew it at you with music and smiling people.

 

[69Mustang]

iPhone 7 is a great phone.

What phones did your girls have before?

Hand me downs. Oldest had my wife's old 6S and the youngest had my oldest's 6.

 

[joeblow7777]

Can't help but notice again the way the numbers are presented look good for Apple. But in reality, it shows Android activations surpassed Apple if you look at the actual numbers. Does Apple know they can't just manipulate stats into becoming number 1?

It's not manipulation of stats and it's nothing new. iPhone sales and activations have never matched every Android phone combined and they never will. It's insane to expect them to. It's actually really impressive that it takes combining the next 7 leading manufactures to match them.

Android is still the most popular mobile operating system and no one is trying to make it look like otherwise, but it's clear that the iPhone is the single most popular brand.