Give the Gift of iPhone Accessories!

For the iPhone owner who has everything, we showed it probably does not make much sense to put an iPad or Mac computer under the tree. Yet, based on CIRP data, iPhone owners probably could use an accessory or two.

By accessories, we mean the range of items that Apple and others sell to go with an iPhone. For this report, we include cases, wireless Bluetooth earphones (AirPods and the like), Bluetooth speakers, wired earphones (Beats and others), and even smartwatches.

Unlike the core Apple devices, iPads and Macs, fewer iPhone owners already have each of these accessories. Most already have a case, since retailers, including Apple, the mobile carrier brand stores, and other iPhone sellers, try to sell these at the time a customer buys a phone, and they are ubiquitous elsewhere. Almost three-quarters of iPhone buyers report owning a case (Chart 1). Other accessories see more modest penetration among new iPhone owners.

Chart 1: Ownership of iPhone accessories of iPhone buyers (twelve months ending September 2024)

Of course, iPhone cases can be fashionable accessories. With relatively low prices, no setup or installation, and the ability to easily switch between multiple cases, they can make a welcome and useful gift.

Now, headsets should make a great gift. Less than half of iPhone owners already have Bluetooth earbuds, either AirPods and from one of their competitors. And, only 15% of owners have a wired headset, which appears to be the choice of some audiophile iPhone owners. Wireless Bluetooth speakers, which can make iPhone audio a more social event or at least a more home-friendly use, are also less prevalent, with only one-quarter of iPhone owners already owning one. All of these audio accessory categories support specific distinct use cases, so a dedicated iPhone owner can happily have more than one.

Smartwatches are somewhat more expensive as accessories go, and one is enough. A little more than one-third of iPhone owners have an Apple Watch, competing smartwatch, or a fitness device (Fitbit, Garmin, and others).

After looking at a lot of gifting options, from iPhones to iPads and Macs, in the Apple universe, iPhone accessories seem to be the most logical gifts.