Mobile analytics firm Flurry today reports Apple accounted for just over half of new mobile device activations for the holiday season, with 51.3 percent of worldwide activations going to the Cupertino-based company.
Using data from more than 600,000 tracked apps, Flurry focused on the week leading up to and including Christmas, from December 19-25. Trailing Apple in worldwide device activations was Samsung with nearly 18 percent and Nokia at almost 6 percent. Xiaomi, Huawei, and HTC all had less than one percent of device activations, which Flurry notes could be related to their popularity in Asian markets where the holiday season isn't the big gift-giving event it is in other parts of the world.
To put this in perspective, for every Samsung devices that was activated, Apple activated 2.9 devices. For every Microsoft Lumia device activated, Apple activated 8.8 devices. While, the holidays in general and Christmas in particular are not the sole indicator of the smartphone market share and trends, it is safe to say that Apple’s newly released iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have had a blockbuster holiday season, despite a lackluster holiday season for the consumer electronics industry.
Flurry also notes that on Christmas Day the number of app installs more than doubled compared to the early weeks of December, pointing to games and messaging apps as seeing the biggest jumps on Christmas morning.
The analytics firm also notes that "phablets" are gaining significant share in the market thanks to Apple's entry with the iPhone 6 Plus. "Medium Phones" such as the iPhone 6 still dominate the market as in years past, but the growth of the phablet in 2014 has taken share away from "Full-size Tablets" and, less drastically, "Small Tablets."
Looking at the year ahead, Flurry predicts iOS devices will continue to perform well alongside a continued shift in public opinion that will drive continued growth for the phablet form factor.
Wednesday October 1, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
iOS 26 was released last month, but the software train never stops, and iOS 26.1 beta testing is already underway. So far, iOS 26.1 makes both Apple Intelligence and Live Translation on compatible AirPods available in additional languages, and it includes some other minor changes across Apple Music, Calendar, Photos, and Safari.
More features and changes will follow in future versions,...
Thursday October 2, 2025 7:26 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Nearly two weeks after the iPhone 17 series launched, analysts at investment banking firm Morgan Stanley said demand for the devices has been "modestly stronger than we originally expected," based on a combination of extended shipping estimates on Apple's online store and information it gathered from Apple's supply chain.
There has been strong early demand for the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro,...
Wednesday October 1, 2025 8:27 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
A handful of upcoming Apple products leaked yesterday, through a combination of YouTube videos out of Russia and U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) documents that were released, despite Apple's confidentiality requests.
The leaked products include an iPad Pro with an M5 chip, as well as updated MacBook Pro and Apple Vision Pro models. All of these devices had already been rumored...
Wednesday October 1, 2025 3:56 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Apple's two big yearly events, WWDC and the iPhone launch, are done and over with, but there are still some new products that we're expecting to see before the end of the year.
Apple TV
The Apple TV hasn't been updated since 2022, so it's due for a refresh. It doesn't look like Apple is going to change the design of its set-top box, but we can expect a faster chip
Apple code suggests...
Friday October 3, 2025 3:39 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
The MacBook Air is Apple's most popular laptop – a thin, fanless machine that wields quiet power thanks to the efficiency of Apple silicon. While the M4 model isn't exactly old, attention is already turning to its successor.
Apple doesn't telegraph new product launches ahead of time, but we can draw a surprisingly clear picture of what to expect by looking at Apple's silicon roadmap,...
Monday September 29, 2025 9:31 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple's annual iPhone event is in the rearview mirror, but rumors suggest the company plans to release a handful of additional products before the year ends.
Will there be another Apple event this October? We discuss the possibility below.
Apple in October
Apple's most recent October events were in 2021 and 2023.
In 2022 and 2024, Apple did not host an October event. Instead, it...
Tuesday September 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps.
Apple recently revealed that the feature would soon be available in North Dakota, and starting today, the feature has officially gone...
Thursday October 2, 2025 4:55 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Earlier this year, Apple released the $599 iPhone 16e – a budget-friendly late addition to its iPhone 16 series and a replacement for its long-running entry-level iPhone SE line. Given the iPhone 17 lineup has now launched, can we expect an iPhone 17e anytime soon?
If you're holding out for a more affordable device with the 17 moniker attached, here's everything we know so far about the...
Wednesday October 1, 2025 9:16 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple released iOS 26 in mid-September, bringing a range of new features and changes to iPhones across the globe. But not all of the included improvements have been showcased with Apple's typical fanfare, and many are likely to have been overlooked.
Below, we've highlighted 26 lesser known additions and enhancements that could potentially change how you use your iPhone on a daily basis. Got...
While this may look like a huge success, it's only short-term. The last "revolutionary" thing Apple created was the iPad, but they failed to update it and continuously keep it fresh. Now, more and more people are switching to alternative tablets.
Now that the iPhone has made a non-revolutionary change by creating a bigger screen and adding unremarkable additions to its iOS (Samsung thought of this over four? years ago). Even Google is surpassing Apple's Siri with Cortana. Really? Google? Does anyone remember how bad it was when it first came out?!
Apple has failed and failed to innovate and now with the iWatch is moving backwards to try and find any niche it can in the market. Apple is a failure and I hope they can get it together fast before all those iPhone users realize this.
This is one of the dumbest comments I have ever read.
First, Cortana is Microsoft not Google. Second, do you really classify a bigger screen as a revolutionary achievement by Samsung?
Apple has failed and failed to innovate and now with the iWatch is moving backwards to try and find any niche it can in the market. Apple is a failure and I hope they can get it together fast before all those iPhone users realize this.
I'm glad you're not managing my tech investments. Or maybe you're just using sarcasm! If so, LOL.
While this may look like a huge success, it's only short-term. The last "revolutionary" thing Apple created was the iPad, but they failed to update it and continuously keep it fresh. Now, more and more people are switching to alternative tablets.
Now that the iPhone has made a non-revolutionary change by creating a bigger screen and adding unremarkable additions to its iOS (Samsung thought of this over four? years ago). Even Google is surpassing Apple's Siri with Cortana. Really? Google? Does anyone remember how bad it was when it first came out?!
Apple has failed and failed to innovate and now with the iWatch is moving backwards to try and find any niche it can in the market. Apple is a failure and I hope they can get it together fast before all those iPhone users realize this.
While this may look like a huge success, it's only short-term. The last "revolutionary" thing Apple created was the iPad, but they failed to update it and continuously keep it fresh. Now, more and more people are switching to alternative tablets.
Now that the iPhone has made a non-revolutionary change by creating a bigger screen and adding unremarkable additions to its iOS (Samsung thought of this over four? years ago). Even Google is surpassing Apple's Siri with Cortana. Really? Google? Does anyone remember how bad it was when it first came out?!
Apple has failed and failed to innovate and now with the iWatch is moving backwards to try and find any niche it can in the market. Apple is a failure and I hope they can get it together fast before all those iPhone users realize this.
I am sure all 800 Million users with switch to Android after reading this.
While this may look like a huge success, it's only short-term. The last "revolutionary" thing Apple created was the iPad, but they failed to update it and continuously keep it fresh. Now, more and more people are switching to alternative tablets.
Now that the iPhone has made a non-revolutionary change by creating a bigger screen and adding unremarkable additions to its iOS (Samsung thought of this over four? years ago). Even Google is surpassing Apple's Siri with Cortana. Really? Google? Does anyone remember how bad it was when it first came out?!
Apple has failed and failed to innovate and now with the iWatch is moving backwards to try and find any niche it can in the market. Apple is a failure and I hope they can get it together fast before all those iPhone users realize this.
Yeah, it's almost like Apple couldn't hold on to greater than 50% of the tablet market all by themselves by only selling the most profitable, higher end models while up against undercutting, race to the bottom, sub-par performing, crap...someone should be fired!!
Samsung thought of what, exactly, 4 years ago? Having a gigantic ass battery on a phone and including a larger screen to cover up the complete lack of power efficiency of the OS? Yes, that's what they "thought of". Also interesting is that Samsung's ads "welcome" Apple to 2012 while trying to ape Apple's 2013 features...and really, they themselves are still stuck in 2012 creating the same Galaxy S series phone over and over again. It's like they're not even trying to change the design, and their sales are slipping...but Apple's the one who's messing up here?
Not sure if you realize the difference between success and failure but when there are now more iPhone users than there were before, it looks like those people buying Android seem to be "falling for it".
