Google Pixel Phones Saw Christmas Weekend Surge in Activations, Says Report

The Google Pixel 2 and 2XL smartphones had the largest gain in new activations over Christmas weekend compared with the prior three holiday shopping weekends, said Localytics Wednesday. Pixel 2 activations jumped 38.6 percent, Pixel 2XL signups grew 31.4 percent and iPhone X activations increased 28.7 percent during the period, while iPhone 8 and 8 Plus activations advanced 17.7 and 13.9 percent, it said. There are far fewer active Pixel devices in the market than iPhones, it noted. Samsung Galaxy device activations slipped from a 44 percent jump in new activations during Thanksgiving for the Note 8 to a 9.5 percent lift during Christmas weekend, said the analytics firm, noting the “highly competitive holiday season” for handset makers. In iPhone market share, the iPhone X held 5.3 percent share on Wednesday, compared with 19.3 percent for the 7, which led the pack. The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus combined for a total of 7.4 percent share, it said.