In context: If you were gifted a smartphone this Christmas, chances are high that it was one of nine iPhone models launched in the last three years. The iPhone 11 was by far the most popular of the bunch, while the iPhone 12 mini didn't even make into the top ten in terms of total device activations.
Earlier this month, we learned that Apple has asked suppliers to boost iPhone production for 2021 in response to better-than-expected demand for both the new iPhone 12 lineup as well as older models like the iPhone 11 and iPhone SE.
According to a report from Flurry Analytics, the iPhone was indeed the best-selling phone this month, with the iPhone 11 taking the crown in terms of the number of Christmas day activations. This is followed by the iPhone XR, iPhone 12 Pro Max, and the iPhone 12, which shows that the iPhone XR is still in high demand two years after its release, mostly thanks to its starting price of $499.
In the seven days leading up to Christmas, the iPhone SE sold relatively slowly, only to see a surge of 34 percent in the number of activations on Christmas day. On the other hand, notably absent from the report is the iPhone 12 mini, which saw lower than expected demand. Overall 9 out of 10 top spots for device activations on Christmas day were iPhones, with the exception of LG's K30, a budget smartphone that saw a 181 percent increase in sales over the trailing 7 day average.
New smartphone activations on Christmas day this year were down 23 percent when compared to last year, but analysts are hesitant to draw conclusions on what caused it, even as we traverse a period of economic hardship, with unemployment in the US still hovering over 7 percent and one in three Americans reporting difficulty covering household necessities.