Apple rarely wins on a single spec sheet. Instead, the company builds products that work best together — an iPhone that unlocks a Mac, an Apple Watch that receives iMessages, an iPad that acts as a second display. This interoperability is deliberate, and it is one of the strongest reasons customers stay loyal across upgrade cycles.
Switching away from the ecosystem carries real friction: purchased apps, iMessage history, Health data and Home automations do not transfer cleanly to other platforms. That friction is a business strategy as much as a convenience feature.
For consumers, understanding this strategy helps explain pricing decisions and feature rollouts. Apple tends to introduce a feature on one device first, then extend it across the lineup once the ecosystem can support it end to end.