Is Apple’s so-called “Monopoly” to blame for its domination, or is it the fault of consumers?،
Does Apple dominate the smartwatch market due to a monopoly or strong customer support?
Charts released today by
Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, LLC (CIRP) are a double-edged sword because they could show that iPhone owners simply value the Apple ecosystem and therefore prefer to buy, for example, the Apple Watch over other watches that support iOS. Or does this data prove that Apple is doing things with the iPhone to prevent the purchase of competing watches?
Apple dominates the smartwatch market among iPhone users. it is not a surprise
The DOJ, in its filing, claims that Apple “degrades” the performance of competing smartwatches “in at least three significant ways.” What are these paths? “First, Apple deprives iPhone users with third-party smartwatches of the ability to respond to notifications. Second, Apple prevents third-party smartwatches from maintaining a reliable connection with the iPhone. And third, Apple compromises the performance of the watches third-party smart devices that connect directly to a cellular network. In doing so, Apple is restricting user choice and crushing innovation that could help bridge the gap around Apple's smartphone monopoly.
CIRP charts show that among U.S. iPhone owners, 82% owned an Apple Watch in the fourth quarter, 9% owned a Fitbit (owned by
Google), and 9% used one of the many brands ranked in the “Others” category. In the fourth quarter, US Android users favored the
Samsung Galaxy Watch, with 40% of those with an Android phone choosing to wear this brand of smartwatch. Fitbit had a 26% share of the smartwatch market among Android users. Brands in the “Other” category were chosen by 34% of smartwatch wearers among
android phone users.
Apple AirPods are iPhone users' favorite headphones
When it comes to wireless Bluetooth headphones, iPhone users in the
United States prefer AirPods, which had a 62% market share among those using an iOS phone in the fourth quarter. Bose was next with a 9% share of the pie, followed by Apple-owned Beats with 7%, followed by JBL's 3%. Brands in the “Other” category accounted for 11% of iPhone users.
Android phone owners are buying their wireless earbuds from a wider range of manufacturers
Android users in the United States are choosing from a wider range of wireless Bluetooth headphones. Among those who have a android phone, Samsung had a market share of 19%, followed by JBL (14%), Bose (11%), Beats (10%), and Skull Candy (8%). The “other” category, made up of many different brands with a smaller share, collectively held 30% of the market among android phone users.
Both the DOJ and Apple will spend the trial trying to convince the judge they are right
Does this prove that Apple “rigged” the game? Or does this simply mean that Apple device owners are more likely to stay within the company's ecosystem? This is a question that the DOJ and Apple will try to answer in a way that convinces the judge that their position is correct.
All I can add here is that I bought the iPhone 15
Pro Max because I thought it was the best phone on the market and had the specs and features I needed . Who knows. If the same government that is going after Apple for allegedly delaying consumer choices had allowed me to purchase an Android-powered Huawei Mate 60 Pro in the United States powered by a cutting-edge Kirin chipset, I might have -be bought this instead. And I wear an Apple Watch SE because I like it more than other watches I've tried and I also wanted to stay in the Apple ecosystem. If I had been allowed to buy a Huawei phone, I probably would have added a Huawei watch.
