Christmas Day activation numbers suggest iOS topped Android by 1.6M

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
New data from a variety of sources suggests the combination of the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch was enough for iOS activations to top Google Android on Christmas Day by more than 1.6 million units.



Parsing out some of the latest data, Philip Elmer-Dewitt of Fortune reported on Wednesday that at least 4.2 million iOS devices were activated on Dec. 25. That compares to a total of 3.7 million Android devices activated on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, according to Google Android Chief Andy Rubin.



In years past, Android activations have seen a boost of about 50 percent on Christmas Eve. So with at least 1.1 million Android devices assumed activated on Christmas Eve (up from its usual daily total of 700,000), Christmas Day Android activations would be 2.6 million.



Subtracting that estimated total from recently released data from Flurry Analytics gives the estimated total of 4.2 million activated iOS devices. Flurry revealed on Tuesday that iOS and Android activations combined grew 353 percent on Christmas day, reaching 6.8 million units. A breakdown of iOS versus Android devices was not given.



Apple's estimated 4.2 million iOS activations on Christmas Day would give Apple a 1.6 million unit lead over Google's Android. Both platforms are available on smartphones, tablets and media players.



"Given that Android phones outsold iPhones by 2:1 worldwide in the second quarter of 2011 and more than 3:1 in the third quarter," Elmer-Dewitt wrote, "it's likely that if Apple did beat Android in the Christmas bake-off by more than a million and a half units, sales of the iPad and iPad touch probably accounted for the difference."



Rubin announced last week that Android device activations had reached 700,000 per day. Apple has not revealed its daily device activations in over a year, and did not share any data about Christmas activations, but did state in October that it had sold more than 250 million iOS devices to date.



Estimates based on Flurry Analytics and Google tweets. Source: Fortune.



The data from Google also does not include the Amazon Kindle Fire, which runs a heavily modified version of Android and does not show up in activations for the mobile operating system. Amazon has said that it has sold millions of the Kindle Fire and that it is its best-selling device, but has declined to give specific figures.



Apple's sales figures for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch will be revealed next month, when the company holds its quarterly earnings conference call. That will cover the company's first fiscal quarter of 2012, which runs through December and includes the holiday shopping season.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 80
    Apple Is Doomed?



  • Reply 2 of 80
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post




    "Given that Android phones outsold iPhones by 2:1 worldwide in the second quarter of 2011 and more than 3:1 in the third quarter,"



    I didn't realize that Android phones outsold the iPhone by a 3:1 margin. I thought that Android outsold iOS by 2 to 1.





    When the Android tablet makers start coming out with ICS tablets, will the tablet market share revert to this same ratio? Looking at Amazon's list of best-selling tablets, the iPad is nowhere near the top already. 2012 is going to be a great year for the consumer!
  • Reply 3 of 80
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by cvaldes1831 View Post


    Apple Is Doomed?







    Not unexpected since we're talking about all iOS-based devices (for once). Since a 2-year contract is required for a smartphone in the US that adds an extra challenge as a gift. This gives the iPad and iPod Touch some advantage in the activations, and since Android OS has failed to make a dent in the PMP or tablet market this goes to iOS. If we count only smartphones I would expect Android OS to have bested iPhone iOS by its usual amount.
  • Reply 4 of 80
    Where's slapppy to tell us these numbers are wrong? Or that this is the "last hurrah" of a dying Apple?
  • Reply 5 of 80
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    Where's slapppy to tell us these numbers are wrong?



    He's waiting for more of his fans to join the thread. Keep sitting there waiting for his arrival. You'll know he's close when a hush falls over the crowd.
  • Reply 6 of 80
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    Where's slapppy to tell us these numbers are wrong? Or that this is the "last hurrah" of a dying Apple?



    That's why I came into this thread. His comments are pure comedy gold
  • Reply 7 of 80
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    Where's slapppy to tell us these numbers are wrong? Or that this is the "last hurrah" of a dying Apple?



    "It won't last. Apple's focus on customer service, brand loyalty, and ability to make healthy profits will be their death because they aren't pointlessly going after marketshare with low-quality products with no support or profit margin."



    How is that? I think I used too many adult words.
  • Reply 8 of 80
    poochpooch Posts: 768member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Apple's sales figures for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch will be revealed next month, when the company holds its quarterly earnings conference call. That will cover the company's first fiscal quarter of 2012, which runs through December and includes the holiday shopping season.



    the earnings call is scheduled for monday, january 23. that's a few days later than usual ... they must need some extra time to add up all those sales numbers.
  • Reply 9 of 80
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    So now it's a contest to see who has the biggest penis? Market share does matter to iOS fans even though we say it doesn't? I'm as guilty as the next fanboy but even I'm starting to get tired of this constant one- upsman-ship. We don't need to worry about what Abdroid is up to.
  • Reply 10 of 80
    cameronjcameronj Posts: 2,357member
    Retarded math
  • Reply 11 of 80
    bongobongo Posts: 158member
    This is obviously due to the fact that little to no one actually gives smartphones on christmas due to complications in upgrading/contracts. Most of theae christmas activations are ipods touches and ipads.
  • Reply 12 of 80
    What is with Apple Insider no longer posting links to sources??? They drop all these numbers and statistics but zero references.



    "New data from a variety of sources "



    WHAT SOURCES?
  • Reply 13 of 80
    According to Philip Elmer Dewitt at Fortune, Flurry's activation numbers DO include the Amazon Fire as an "Android activation."



    Which really makes these numbers interesting.
  • Reply 14 of 80
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bongo View Post


    This is obviously due to the fact that little to no one actually gives smartphones on christmas due to complications in upgrading/contracts. Most of theae christmas activations are ipods touches and ipads.



    If what you say is true, then ~3.7 million Android Tablets were activated Christmas eve and day -- excluding Kindle Fire and Nook.
  • Reply 15 of 80
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    I mentioned this is another thread when someone was trying to claim Android beat iOS handily in Christmas activations.



    With two different sources for figures using two different methods of determining activations over two (supposedly) different timeframes and adding a third guesstimate based on previous years estimated results, even the author notes that any claims as to who did what on what day is simply guesswork.



    "Without a press release from Apple (AAPL) crowing about their Christmas sales, we're forced to rely on data from a mobile analytics firm and tweets from a Google (GOOG) senior vice president to make some rough guesses."

    http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2011/12/...tmas-bake-off/



    Still a fun read relying on some assumptions to arrive at the basis for a story, but certainly not definitive enough for reliable hard numbers.
  • Reply 16 of 80
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Vendrazi View Post


    According to Philip Elmer Dewitt at Fortune, Flurry's activation numbers DO include the Amazon Fire as an "Android activation."



    Which really makes these numbers interesting.



    True. "New data from a variety of sources" claim 4.2 Million iOS devices, Android claims 3.7 Million devices equaling 7.9 Million devices NOT including the Fire, Flurry claims 6.8 Million devices between Android and iOS, including Fire. I honestly think no onw knows. What we do know is that is was a steller year for Apple and Google.
  • Reply 17 of 80
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post


    I mentioned this is another thread when someone was trying to claim Android beat iOS handily in Christmas activations.



    With two different sources for figures using two different methods of determining activations over two (supposedly) different timeframes and adding a third guesstimate based on previous years estimated results, even the author notes that any claims as to who did what on what day is simply guesswork.



    "Without a press release from Apple (AAPL) crowing about their Christmas sales, we're forced to rely on data from a mobile analytics firm and tweets from a Google (GOOG) senior vice president to make some rough guesses."

    http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2011/12/...tmas-bake-off/



    Still a fun read relying on some assumptions to arrive at the basis for a story, but certainly not definitive enough for reliable hard numbers.



    Sooooooo, what you are saying is, know one knows
  • Reply 18 of 80
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post




    "Without a press release from Apple (AAPL) crowing about their Christmas sales, we're forced to rely on data from a mobile analytics firm and tweets from a Google (GOOG) senior vice president to make some rough guesses."

    http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2011/12/...tmas-bake-off/



    While we're reading tea leaves, does the absence of a press release from Apple mean anything, in this context? I know Apple has a habit of issuing statements about first-day sales of new products, but does it ever do the same for Xmas numbers?



    This is kind of like measuring how many feet General X was standing from Minister Y at Kim Il Jong's funeral. But sometimes, that's all the hard data you've got.
  • Reply 19 of 80
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Vendrazi View Post


    According to Philip Elmer Dewitt at Fortune, Flurry's activation numbers DO include the Amazon Fire as an "Android activation."



    Which really makes these numbers interesting.



    PED doesn't actually say that... But you could infer that from the Way the article was written.



    If true, and we accept the 2.6 million Christmas Day Android devices, then Flurry's numbers are



    6.8 mm iOS + Android + Android Forks



    And



    6.8 mm - 2.6 mm == 4.2 iOS + Android Forks



    I SWAG there were between 1-2 mm Android Forks



    ...that leaves between 2.2 mm and 3.2 mm iOS devices???
  • Reply 20 of 80
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Hellacool View Post


    True. "New data from a variety of sources" claim 4.2 Million iOS devices, Android claims 3.7 Million devices equaling 7.9 Million devices NOT including the Fire, Flurry claims 6.8 Million devices between Android and iOS, including Fire. I honestly think no onw knows. What we do know is that is was a steller year for Apple and Google.



    Yep. Better for Apple than Google since Apple actually makes money off of their product. Google not so much.
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