PYMNTS Daily Data Dive: Apple Outdoes Samsung

Apple has officially outperformed Samsung in holiday sales this year.

The ongoing informal battle was won by Apple by two to one. This year, 44 percent of new phone and tablet activation were Apple devices. Samsung saw 21 percent. While Samsung is slowly growing in popularity throughout the holiday season, up 1 percent from last year, Apple devices continue to be the gift to give.

Android devices make up more than 75 percent of smartphone sales in most countries, but the rival operating system saw its fifth consecutive year of decline in the U.S.

Here are the numbers:

2:1 | Ratio of holiday season activation for Apple and Samsung

21 percent | Rate of Samsung activation

44 percent | Rate of Apple holiday activation

1 percent | Rate of year-on-year holiday sales increase for Samsung

75 percent | Rate of Android device sales in most countries

5 | Years the Android operating system has declined in popularity in the U.S.