Pixel 10 has been selling like hotcakes in the US despite the iPhone 17’s success

Google's Pixel 10 series achieved a record 28% year-over-year sales increase in the U.S. during September 2025, marking a single-month sales record for the company's smartphones, according to Counterpoint Research. This growth, primarily driven by the Pixel 10 Pro XL and marketing efforts highlighting AI features like Gemini, occurred despite the concurrent launch of Apple's iPhone 17 series. While this indicates Google's strengthening competitive position in the U.S. market, its global smartphone market share remains outside the top five, and analysts suggest the strong September performance may be partially influenced by favorable market timing.

Analysis

Google's Pixel 10 series achieved a significant 28% year-over-year sales increase in the U.S. during September 2025, marking a single-month sales record for the company's smartphones. This growth was primarily driven by the Pixel 10 Pro XL and sustained strong sales of the Pixel 9a, according to Counterpoint Research. This performance occurred concurrently with the launch of Apple's iPhone 17 series, highlighting Google's competitive traction in the domestic market.

The record U.S. sales are attributed largely to Google's effective marketing campaigns, which emphasized the AI capabilities of its Gemini platform. While Google demonstrated strong domestic growth, its global smartphone market share remains outside the top five in Q3 2025, with Samsung, Apple, and Xiaomi leading. The article notes that September represented the Pixel 10 series' first full month on the market, potentially benefiting from a favorable timing window without major Samsung competition.

The moderately positive sentiment (0.5) for Google (0.7 for GOOGL/GOOG) reflects this strong U.S. performance, but the "uncertain" tone and low market impact score (0.3) suggest caution regarding the sustainability of this trend. Analysts indicate that while Google made a "dent" in the duopoly, September's success might be partially attributable to specific market conditions rather than a definitive shift in long-term market dynamics. Investors should consider the distinction between regional success and global market penetration.

Key Decisions for Investors

• Monitor Google's Pixel sales trends beyond the initial launch period to assess the sustainability of U.S. market share gains.
• Evaluate the impact of Google's AI-centric marketing on future product adoption and its ability to translate U.S. success into global market share.
• Consider the competitive landscape, particularly Apple's continued strength and the global dominance of other OEMs, when assessing GOOGL's long-term hardware growth potential.