Report: Google sees nearly 90% YoY sales growth in US thanks to the Pixel 3a

Damien Wilde | Aug 20 2019 - 5:35 am PT

A new report from Counterpoint Research has shown that the Pixel line remains one of the fastest-growing smartphone ranges in the United States — thanks to sales of the Pixel 3a.

While the entire market in the US declined 1.5 percent year over year from Q2 2018 to Q2 2019, the big winners in terms of market share were OnePlus and Google. Google saw year over year growth of 88%, while OnePlus had a bumper 12-months with 152% YoY growth.

The release of the budget-friendly Pixel 3a and 3a XL are said to be the catalyst for the impressive sales growth within the smartphone sector. Counterpoint does state that the figures are based upon “US sell through” and “volume” which we can only assume refers directly to unit sales. This news comes as no real surprise, as while the Pixel line offers a generally superb experience, many complain that the pricing is holding the Pixel back.

The Pixel 3a and 3a XL manage to give you a top-tier experience in every area that matters most. While it offers much of what makes the Pixel 3 such a great phone but at a discount, the top-selling smartphone for Q2 2019 remains the iPhone XR — Apple’s own cheaper flagship alternative.

Conversely, OnePlus released its most expensive smartphone to date — the OnePlus 7 Pro — to great acclaim. Tackling the premium end of the smartphone sector has clearly worked in the United States. That said, the collaboration with T-Mobile to offer OnePlus devices in stores and online on carrier plans has no doubt helped the Chinese company to such impressive growth figures.

Research Analyst Maurice Klaehne stated, “Postpaid smartphone sales were weak in Q2. All carriers saw activations fall year-on-year. Smartphone sales have been in a decline for several quarters now as longer holding periods and bring-your-own-devices (BYOD) are affecting sales.

“We are seeing a shift away from premium devices as Apple showed a YoY increase through the continued success of the XR as its top seller. The iPhone 8 and iPhone 7 have also picked up sales this quarter, with some prepaid channels beginning the transition from the iPhone 6s to the iPhone 7 as the main iOS workhorse.”

Big players on the market such as Samsung and LG have seen serious a serious decline in sales over the past 12 months. This is more in line with the rest of the industry, as smartphone sales in the US have been dropping over the past 24 months. The suggested reason is that people are just holding onto their phones for much longer or simply picking up devices via alternative means — pre-paid, unlocked, or simply buying used.

While the Pixel 3a sales have helped Google to impressive growth, the top-selling smartphone rankings for Q2 2019 retains a very familiar look and feel. Apple still dominates sales in the United States, with Samsung’s latest flagship S10 line creeping into fourth and fifth positions.