Google Pixel phone sales see their best-ever quarter with Pixel 9 launch

Google’s Pixel phones have been making more waves than usual of late, and a new report from Counterpoint Research (via Android Authrority) gives us a glimpse into just how well they’re doing. While still a small player in the US smartphone market, Google achieved a record 4% share of phones shipped to US distributors in Q3 2024. This might not sound like much compared to Apple’s 54% or Samsung’s 22%, but for Google, it’s a significant step forward.

Counterpoint attributes this success to the earlier-than-usual launch of the Pixel 9 series. Traditionally, Google releases its new phones in October, but this year, the Pixel 9 lineup hit the market on August 13th. This gave the phones more time to make their way into consumers’ hands before the quarter ended.

But there’s even more good news for Google. The Pixel 9 Pro XL, the top-of-the-line model in the series, cracked the top ten list of best-selling premium phones (priced at $800 or higher) in Q3. While Pixel phones have made this list in previous quarters, they were absent from the top ten in Q3 of last year. This suggests that the Pixel 9 series is generating stronger momentum than its predecessor.

Of course, it’s not all smooth sailing. The smartphone market is incredibly competitive, and maintaining this momentum will be a challenge. As Counterpoint Research senior analyst Maurice Klaehne pointed out, comparing the Pixel 9 series’ performance to the Pixel 8 series is tricky. The Pixel 8 lineup consisted of just two phones, while the Pixel 9 series offers four, giving consumers more choices but also potentially fragmenting sales.

The big question now is whether Google can sustain this growth. Will the Pixel 9 series continue to attract buyers in the coming months, or will it fade into the background as Apple and Samsung continue to dominate the market? Only time will tell, but for now, Google has reason to celebrate; and if you’re a Pixel fan, you do too.