Google has a tiny share of the US smartphone market, but the company has started to take things seriously with its recent Pixel phones. Now, a new market report gives the search giant some encouraging news.

Counterpoint Research posted its US Q3 Smartphone Market Share Sales Report last week, tracking the number of phones shipped to retailers and other distributors. Apple accounted for 54% of all phones shipped, followed by Samsung (22%) and Motorola (13%).

Google accounted for just 4 percent of all phones shipped to US retailers in the quarter, which was still a record third quarter for the Pixel maker. However, Counterpoint clarified that this performance was due to the earlier launch of the Pixel 9 series. The Pixel 9 range was launched on August 13, which is much earlier than the company’s traditional October launch window.

Good news for Google’s premium ambitions

The tracking firm also revealed that Pixel 9 Pro XL it was a top ten best seller premium phones in the quarter. He considered premium phones to be priced at $800 or more.

Counterpoint Research senior analyst Maurice Klaehne said Android Authority that Pixel phones have made this top ten list in previous quarters, but there’s still reason for Google to celebrate.

“However, last year in Q3, it was not in the top ten, so this year it had better momentum in the quarter (sic),” Klaehne explained in response to emailed questions. We suspect that the earlier release of the Pixel 9 played at least a role in this ranking.

However, how does the Pixel 9 series stack up against the Pixel 8 series at a similar point in its lifespan? The Counterpoint analyst said this comparison was “a bit tricky” because the Pixel 8 series consists of two phones, while the Pixel 9 lineup offers four devices. This has led to the growth of the pixel maker due to more options for consumers.