If you’ve been involved in tech community for any length of time, you’ve probably heard
people mention the Apple ecosystem quite a bit. Some use the term affectionately,
while others can be quite critical. But what is the Apple ecosystem? It’s a little complex,
since it not only refers all the products Apple makes, but also the relationship between each
product and how they fit together into a cohesive user experience. So in this video,
I’m going to explain why the ecosystem approach is fairly unique to Apple,
and what that experience looks like for users. This is Greg with Apple Explained,
and this was the first place topic in the last voting poll. If you didn’t get to vote, make sure
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Alright now what exactly is the Apple ecosystem? Well, I think it’s easiest
to compare it to a puzzle. With every product Apple makes representing one piece. Each piece
is designed to fit perfectly with the other. And although you don’t need all the pieces to have
something you enjoy, each piece you add tends to make the entire experience even more magical.
And if you’re someone like me who buys every piece and connects them all together, it creates
a beautiful experience that almost anyone can appreciate. For example, let’s say the only Apple
product you use is an iPhone. It’s an incredible device that certainly stands on its own. But what
if you could take a piece of that technology and put it on your wrist? Suddenly you can make calls,
send texts, track workouts, check the weather, and so much more in a way that’s faster and more
convenient than simply using an iPhone. You didn’t need to put those two puzzle pieces together,
but aren’t you happy that you did? That’s exactly what people mean when they say Apple ecosystem.
Although years ago more people referred to it as Apple’s walled garden. Which carried a more
negative connotation, since it was pretty much unique to Apple. Before the mobile device era,
there wasn’t much of a reason for tech companies to build their sales strategy around an ecosystem.
Since most customers just bought computers, and maybe the occasional digital camera or MP3 player.
But Apple was focused on creating an ecosystem from day one. The original Macintosh in 1984
featured a proprietary operating system that no one else was allowed to use. Prompting criticism
that Apple was creating a closed system that took control away from users. Meanwhile,
companies like Microsoft were licensing their Windows operating system to any
hardware manufacturer that paid for it. Resulting in dominance over the computer market and sky-high
revenue. But Apple stuck to their guns. With Jobs insisting that Apple could only create a
superior user experience if they retained control over the hardware and software.
Integrating the two together in a sort’ve closed ecosystem.
That philosophy, which was quite unique at the time, is what gave Apple a huge advantage over
competitors during the mobile device era. They already knew how to integrate hardware,
software, and services. They’d been doing it with the Macintosh, iMac, MacBook,
and iPod. The only difference, was that the value it offered users would become clearer than ever
before. When you own a notebook, tablet, smartphone, and smartwatch, they’d better
work together seamlessly or else managing each individual device could become a part time job.
The problem was most companies weren’t focused on selling an ecosystem, they were focused on selling
individual products. Dell sold the notebooks, Microsoft sold the tablets, and Blackberry sold
the smartphones. But once Apple entered the smartphone market in 2007 and tablet market in
2010, you began to see these companies scrambling to create their own ecosystems in response.
Microsoft tried creating a smartphone, along with their computers and tablets, but it failed and
was a discontinued. Google tried creating a tablet along with their notebooks and smartphones, but it
also failed and was discontinued. LG experienced the same trouble with creating smartphones.
Building an ecosystem, when a company’s focus has always been to sell as many individual products
as possible with no regard to user experience, turned out to be much more difficult than people
imagined. But that strength Apple has enjoyed for years, is also why some people despise the brand.
Claiming their users are forced into a closed system that takes away their power
and leaves everything up to Apple’s discretion. And that effectively illustrates the downside
of any ecosystem. In order to enjoy the seamless integration and conveniences,
you have to essentially go all-in on one company. Buying their version of every product,
which limits consumer choice when shopping for a device. To use the analogy from earlier,
two pieces from two different puzzles won’t fit together very well.
Just like using an Apple smartphone with a Samsung smartwatch, won’t deliver an optimal experience.
But most users who do stick with products from one company, whether it be Apple or Samsung,
tend to enjoy the extra benefits of that specific ecosystem. So what are those benefits? And what
does the relationship between each product look like? Well, an ecosystem tends to be
organized into a hierarchy. Like this one created by Neil Cybart from Above Avalon. Here, he clearly
outlines the roles of each product category and the relationship between them. Beginning
with the Mac, which handles the most intensive and resource heavy tasks. But when users aren’t
creating 3D renders or editing 4K video, the iPad becomes a much more convenient and enjoyable way
to experience certain tasks. Like watching YouTube videos, replying to emails, browsing the internet,
or reading ebooks. But some experiences are more enjoyable on an ultra-portable device.
Like using your iPhone to take photos, listening to music on the go, responding to texts,
or making calls. And finally, wearable devices deliver the highest level of convenience
while completing tasks like checking the weather or tracking exercise. Each tier
of product offers a more convenient method of completing a task than the one above it,
although the capabilities of each device diminish slightly with each subsequent tier.
But the real magic happens in the space between the products. When you create a calendar event
on your Apple Watch, it automatically appears on every other Apple product you own. When you
open a new pair of AirPods, you can connect them to your iPhone with just one tap. When you want
to transfer music to your HomePod, just hold your phone near the speaker, and the content transfers
seamlessly. Now Apple did recently discontinue the HomePod and I’ll make an entire video
explaining why, so make sure you’re subscribed for that. But the mini is still available, and offers
even better handoff technology. If you started writing an email on your Mac but have to head out,
you can continue right where you left off on your iPhone. Do you have a large file that you want
moved from your iPad to your Mac? Just send it with AirDrop and avoid the hassle of third party
services. There’re even benefits between different users inside the same ecosystem. Like iMessage,
which has tapback, message effects, end-to-end encryption, a typing indicator, FaceTime,
and an entire App Store. Something Google has been trying to replicate on Android for years.
So that is the Apple ecosystem. The reasons why many people say it’s the best,
are the same reasons others give for calling it a trap. And both of those assertions would be
correct. Apple knows that offering an irresistibly convenient experience across all their products
will encourage users to keep buying them and never leave. But on the other hand,
why would you want to? Today, Apple has the largest most enjoyable puzzle available.
And although you could try out a smaller one that has a few missing pieces,
most people would think it isn’t worth the time, money or trouble. Especially since almost every
company is trying to follow in Apple’s footsteps anyway. After all, having a complete and high
functioning ecosystem is the most profitable business model in today’s mobile device era.
So it’s almost a matter of picking your poison, and so far the Apple flavor tastes the best.
Alright guys thanks for watching till the end, don’t forget to subscribe
to help decide which topics I cover, and I’ll see you in the next video.