Flurry Analytics released its findings a few days ago for the number of collective iOS and Android activations made on Christmas Day this year. The statistics were impressive, but they didn’t represent the accomplishments of each individual operating system, and what would the mobile industry be today without some friendly competition between iOS and Android? So, which OS reigned as champion of Christmas 2011? According to estimates, iOS.
CNN Money crunched Flurry’s numbers along with stats Andy Rubin released for Android. Flurry, based on their access to 140,000 smartphone apps, said approximately 6.8 million devices were activated on Christmas. Then we have Rubin’s data: 3.7 million Android devices on Christmas Eve and Day combined, 700,000 daily activations, and Christmas Eve activations are historically 50 percent higher than that.
Now for the guessing game. CNN Money assumes that at least 1.1 million Android devices were activated on Christmas Eve based on this data. Rubin’s 3.7 million total minus the 1.1 million on Christmas Eve leaves us with roughly 2.6 on Christmas Day. Finally, they take Flurry’s 6.8 million total iOS and Android devices, subtract the 2.6 million Android devices, and we are left with an estimate of 4.2 million iOS devices activated on Christmas Day — 1.6 million more than Android.
Again, technically speaking, this is all one big hypothesis. But it’s supported by solid numbers from Flurry Analytics and from Google’s Andy Rubin. For a less significant way to get a vague guess, try asking around like I did. About ten people I know received an iPhone 4S or iPad, while only one received an Android tablet.
