The iPhone has failed to serve as a gateway product to the Mac, Apple TV, and HomePod for over 50 percent of iPhone users, while the iPad, Apple Watch, and AirPods have seen considerably better popularity among iPhone owners, according to data gathered by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP).
The CIRP investigation sought to ascertain the extent to which iPhone users have bought other Apple devices, given the fact that Apple seeks to cross-sell its entire product line to its core customers.
The study highlighted a contrast between personal computers and tablets for most iPhone owners. While almost all iPhone users have a computer, only a 41 percent share of these users have a Mac, with the majority having a Windows or Google Chrome device instead. On the other hand, of the iPhone users that have a tablet, 84 percent own an iPad.
The Apple Watch and AirPods have also seen significant uptake from iPhone owners. Of the two-thirds of iPhone owners who have a smartwatch, three-quarters of those have an Apple Watch. Similarly, 40 percent of iPhone users have true wireless earbuds, and over half of these are AirPods.
Apple has seen the least success with the Apple TV and the HomePod among existing iPhone users. 69 percent of iPhone owners have a TV streaming device, such as a Google Chromecast, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV, which is more than those that have a smartwatch, but only one-quarter of these are Apple TV devices.
Likewise, of the 45 percent of iPhone users that have a smart speaker, just 21 percent have a HomePod. CIRP noted that the HomePod has the lowest penetration into the iPhone buyer population as well as the lowest share of ownership in the category, among all six products analyzed in the study.
Overall, while Apple has succeeded in selling mobile devices to existing iPhone owners, including iPads and direct iPhone accessories such as AirPods or Apple Watches, the company has struggled to encourage a majority to buy Macs and home devices such as the Apple TV and HomePod.
CIRP based its findings on a survey of approximately 900 Apple customers in the United States that purchased an iPhone in the twelve-month period ending in June 2021.