Google's new Pixel smartphones proved popular during the busy holiday shopping season between "Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
"Google Pixel" device activations were up 112 percent compared to the smartphone's average number of activations in four consecutive weekends, according to new data from mobile app analytics company Localytics. In comparison, iPhone 7 activations were only up 13 percent. "Samsung's Galaxy S7" saw activations grow by 36 percent, according to the research firm. The data comes from Localytics analyzing customer activations from Black Friday, Nov. 24 through Cyber Monday, Nov. 28. Localytics draws its data from more than 2.7 billion devices worldwide.
It's hard to say exactly what caused the massive discrepancy in activations during the holiday weekend. "Confirm what many have believed since the device was released in October: the Pixel is a very impressive device, as stated by Localytics. The company also acknowledged that the iPhone 7 experienced strong demand when it was released in September, and there might be fewer people looking to buy the new handset.
"During last year's Black Friday weekend, the newest Apple models fared much better. The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus saw lifts of 36 percent and 29 percent, respectively, as noted in some reports.
It's clear that Google is on to something with Pixel, the first handset the company has designed and engineered on its own. The Pixel, which was unveiled last month, is the 5-inch version. A larger Pixel XL comes with a 5.5-inch screen. Both models come with what Google calls the "Highest-Rated Smartphone Camera," long-lasting battery life, and a high-end processor for performance.
It is reported that 46 percent of the Pixel handsets activated over the holiday weekend were done so through Verizon. The remaining 54 percent of Pixel handsets were unlocked and purchased to other carrier networks.
The Pixel is available unlocked at Google's online marketplace; allowing customers to pay full price, the handset's pricing starts at $649 and depends it on the carrier.
