Tech

Early data suggest Apple had good holiday sales

What Tim Cook just said about Apple's holiday
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What Tim Cook just said about Apple's holiday

Christmas may have come and gone, but there's one more thing to unwrap: holiday data. And once again, it looks like it was a very good holiday for Apple.

App-analytics company Mixpanel tracks new smartphone and tablet activations during the three days after Christmas, giving us an early indication of consumer behavior during a time that many spend with family, friends — and handheld devices.

Mixpanel's metrics suggest that iPhones were still the hottest gift in smartphones. Last year, it was all about the 6s, and this year, it was all about Apple's latest model, the iPhone 7. From Dec. 25 to 27, the number of unique active iPhone 7s increased by nearly 13 percent, according to Mixpanel.

By contrast, Android devices — including smartphones and tablets — saw a rise of less than 3 percent in the same period of time.

Data show, though, that Google's new Pixel smartphone held up better. According to Mixpanel, the number of unique active Google Pixels increased 8.5 percent.

The Apple Watch was was still popular, though far less so than last year. In 2015, activations rose nearly 20 percent in the three days after Christmas. This year, they were up just 9 percent.

Analysts like Michael Yoshikami, founder and CEO of Destination Wealth Management, say the holiday numbers may be a sign of what's to come in 2017.

"I think wearables will continue to be a tough space. I think it really is looking to be more of a fitness market rather than something that people will use for their cellphones," he said.

And amid industrywide "phone fatigue," holiday sales could be more important than ever.