Fastest Upgraders Own More iPads and Macs, too
As Apple introduced new Apple Watch and AirPods models, we looked at how common it is for iPhone buyers to own these accessories. We saw clearly that iPhone buyers with a faster upgrade cadence own these accessories in greater numbers, and those that hang on to an iPhone longer don’t.
We wondered how iPhone upgrade speed affects other elements of the Apple ecosystem. Do fast upgraders own other Apple products more? What online services do they use? Where do they shop? This week we find that iPhone buyers that upgrade phones more often also are more likely to own iPads and Mac computers.
Overall, among iPhone buyers, about 67% also own an iPad and 36% own a Mac computer. Both devices have longer life-cycles than iPhones. iPads have more lower priced options that Macs have. Macs also have more alternatives, with a variety of (often less expensive) Windows PC options, as well as Chromebooks, and just doing without a personal computer. iPhone buyers that owned their previous smartphone for two years or less were more likely to own an iPad and also a Mac. 69% of iPhone buyers that upgrade a smartphone more rapidly own an iPad, and 42% of those iPhone buyers own a Mac computer (Chart 1).
Chart 1: iPad and Mac ownership of iPhone buyers, by age of previous phone (twelve months ended June 2024)
The difference is most stark when we look at the slowest upgraders, those whose prior phone was three or more years old - often measurably more. Among those iPhone buyers, only 62% own an iPad and 29% own a Mac computer.
It seems that the speed at which an iPhone owner upgrades from their old phone, or conversely the length of time they hang onto their old phone, helps to identify what kind of Apple customer they are. Frequent upgraders, those owning a phone two years or less, appear to be more active Apple customers, while the more patient upgraders appear less committed to the Apple ecosystem.