The top nine smartphones activated at Christmas were iPhones

The iPhone 11 was the most activated device at Christmas, marking the model’s second consecutive year in the top spot, data from Flurry Analytics shows. Activations for the specific model were 5% higher than the seven-day average between December 18 and December 24.

Credit: Flurry Analytics

Activations for the iPhone 12 Pro Max were 14% higher than the previous seven-day average. The 6.7-inch model was the leading premium device and Flurry Analytics says its position illustrates the “strong and sustained demand” for the model.

The iPhone SE, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone 8 completed the top nine. The only non-Apple device on the list, the LG K30, came in at number 10. The activations were 181% higher than the seven-day average.

According to Flurry Analytics, the success of budget-friendly models like the iPhone SE suggests that US consumers have been much more price-conscious during the 2020 holiday season. However, Apple’s cheapest model in the iPhone 12 series, the iPhone 12 mini, did not break through the top 10.

The analytics company does note that Apple’s very best devices tend to rise in popularity at launch before being overtaken by cheaper models. On that basis, the activation rates compared to the seven-day average would indicate the demand for holiday gifts, rather than the popularity of the model.

It is also not clear when the devices were purchased, just when they were activated. Therefore, activations on Christmas Day may be more indicative of shipments in early December than demand is closer to the holiday.

Flurry adds that smartphone activations are down 23% year-over-year during the 2020 holiday season, compared to the 2019 holiday season.

Credit: Flurry Analytics

Christmas Day is the biggest day for smartphone activations in the US, giving analytics companies like Flurry the chance to analyze consumer demand and preferences. Flurry collects data from its analytics APIs, which are used in more than a million apps.