The Apple Ecosystem Beyond iPhone, iPad, and Macs

As we think about how the Apple ecosystem cements Apple’s relationship with its customers, we need to look beyond the big three: iPhone, iPad, and Mac. To a large extent, it is the products that fall within the “Other Products” segment that Apple reports, that define the reach of the ecosystem. 

HomePod and Apple TV (the device, not the streaming service) are free-standing, home-based appliances. HomePod is still a niche product by Apple market standards, and an Apple TV device is not a defining element in an Apple household. 

Here, we focus on AirPods and Apple Watch, the two most significant “accessory” products. We use the term accessory since these devices generally rely on another Apple device for use. For Apple, they are included in the “Other Products” reporting segment. Both AirPods and Apple Watch have taken off in recent years and are arguably the most successful “Other Products”. 

As in a previous look at the Apple ecosystem, we look at these devices by age of customer. This helps us understand how their users fit into the universe of Apple customers and may be an indication of the depth of those customers’ relationship with Apple.

Overall, about 16% of iPhone owners also own AirPods and 18% own an Apple Watch. We see that ownership varies by age, though, with younger owners more likely to own one or both of these products (Chart 1).