Ecosystems and Direct Benefits
Android and IOS are two of the largest and most popular operating systems. Though Android is run on products made from a wide range of companies, IOS is run solely on Apple products. While both have their own individual benefits, Apple really pulls away from its competitors through its implementation of a fully encompassing ecosystem. While Android and even Windows have ecosystems of their own, their reach does not stretch nearly as far as that of Apple. This is because Apple not only implements its use of the ecosystem in its phones, but also in its tablets, computers, and even in products used to enhance experience of its products; and it does so more successfully than any other company.
Apple’s ecosystem is full of direct benefits to the user. iPhones and iPads work best when they are being used in conjunction with Macs, and vice versa. Thanks to iTunes and the App Store, it is very easy to transfer information from one device to another when using all Apple products. If one wants to transfer their iTunes library to an Android phone, they must download external apps to their computer, transfer their music to the app, and only then can they transfer their music from the app to their phone. With an iPhone, one simply needs to plug their phone into their Mac; Apple has already set up both devices so that the rest will be done automatically for them. Similarly, if one has both an iPhone and an iPad, they can set up their devices to download the same apps on both, rather than having to repeat the process if they had say an iPhone and an Android tablet. Users directly benefit from using multiple Apple products, rather than having products running different OS’s.
A greater direct benefit of Apple’s ecosystem comes from iMessage and FaceTime. Both work only if everyone using them have Apple products; in other words, one cannot FaceTime someone without an Apple product. As a result, the more Apple users, the greater the direct benefits to said users. This not only makes it better for Apple users when there are more Apple users, but also makes it harder to leave Apple’s ecosystem, as the loss of benefits should one leave has become so great that it would be detrimental to one’s social network to do so. Of course it is still possible to leave, but having to make your friends use alternative forms of video chatting and messages is an effort fewer and fewer people are willing to put in. As a result, Apple is able to make full use of its ecosystem to both draw in and maintain its consumer base.
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/apple-vs-android-buy-ecosystem-not-gadget/
http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-ecosystem-2016-6