The top nine smartphones activated on Christmas were iPhones

Credit: Andrew O'Hara, AppleInsider

The iPhone 11 was the most activated device on Christmas, marking the second consecutive year that the model has taken the top spot, data from Flurry Analytics indicates. Activations for the specific model were 5% higher than the seven-day average between Dec. 18 and Dec. 24.

In second and third place were the iPhone XR and iPhone 12 Pro Max, respectively. The iPhone 12 and iPhone 11 Pro Max ranked in fourth and fifth place.

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 long-lasted demand" for the model.

The iPhone SE, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone 8 rounded out the top nine. The only non-Apple device on the list, the LG K30, came in at number 10. Its activations were up 181% compared to the seven-day average.

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

The analytics firm does note that Apple's highest-end devices tend to surge in popularity at launch before being overtaken by cheaper models. Based on that, the activation percentages compared to the seven-day average would indicate holiday gift demand, rather than model popularity.

It also isn't clear when the devices were bought, just when they were activated. Because of that, activations on Christmas Day could be more indicative of early December shipments than demand closer to the holiday.

Flurry adds that smartphone activations were down 23% year-over-year during the 2020 holiday, versus the 2019 holiday season.

Christmas Day is the biggest day for smartphone activations in the U.S., giving analytics firms like Flurry an opportunity to analyze demand and consumer preferences. Flurry collects data from its analytics APIs, which are used in more than one million apps.