Which Smartphone Brands Got A Holiday Boost?

It should come as no surprise that Apple and Samsung topped the holiday adoption metrics.  What is more interesting is how little the iPhone  5S and iPhone 5C launches impacted Samsung demand.  During November, Apple demand in the US fell off to lower than pre-launch levels, a clear sign of slowing demand.  The biggest shift over the holidays was drop of HTC as the HTC One fades from consumer wish lists.  Additionally Motorola was back in a leading position for the first time in literally years due to a very positive response to the budget prices Moto G and the aggressive promotion of the Moto X.  LG has returned to the third position, largely due to the slow but steady adoption of the G2 as the alternative to Samsung or Apple.  Sony and Nokia continue to be brands to watch as BlackBerry continues to slide from the limelight.  ZTE and Alcatel’s new handsets have boosted their brands while Huawei and Kyocera continue to disappoint consumers with the low end handsets supported by the US carriers.  As we integrate data from China, these brands will likely improve.

Moving forward, Argus Insights will be releasing the brand snapshots of the mobile industry on a weekly basis.  This is a sample of the data we are continuously collecting from around the world on how consumers perceive their mobile experience.  If you’d like to get access to the deeper data, sign up to get a free copy of our weekly Peek report which also reports on the top ten handsets, shifts by brands and retailers, and unpacking what is driving disappointment and delight for mobile users.  You can sign up here!