Apple iPhones and iPads proved the most popular with Christmas and Chanukah shoppers once again this year, accounting for 44 percent of top mobile device activations the week leading up to the two holidays, according to Yahoo mobile device/networking specialist Flurry.
Samsung smartphones and tablets ranked second, accounting for 21 percent of holiday mobile device activations. Trailing far behind, mobile device activations for others accounted for 2-3 percent: Huawei (3%), LG (2%), Amazon (2%), Oppo (2%), Xiaomi (2%) and Microsoft (2%).
Google’s Pixel and Pixel XL were notable in their absence, Flurry notes in a news release.
Among form factors, phablets (screen sizes from 5-9 inches) like the iPhone 7+, proved especially popular, accounting for 45 percent of device activations for the week. Flurry earlier this year predicted that phablets would prove to the most popular mobile device form factor this holiday shopping season, and that’s being borne out.
Phablets continued to eat into the market share of medium-sized smartphones, which nonetheless were the most activated mobile devices, accounting for 45 percent of the week’s total, according to Flurry.
Full-sized tablet activations held steady at 9 percent, the same as a year ago.
Breaking out data on a daily basis, Flurry found that consistent with previous years the more smartphone and tablet apps were downloaded on Christmas Day. Twice as many mobile apps were downloaded on Dec. 25, 2016 as compared to the average day in December.
Among app categories, Messaging & Social, Games, Music, Media & Entertainment; and Kids & Family apps were downloaded at greater than average rates.