How Many Markets Does Apple Dominate? The Answer Might Shock You

Apple (AAPL +1.54%) has long been an enigma in the smartphone market. For many years, the iPhone has been the leader in terms of global revenue and operating profits. For example, in 2024, Apple captured 46% of global smartphone revenue despite accounting for just 28% of unit sales. That shouldn’t be surprising since Apple has also commanded the highest average selling price (ASP) in the industry, at $903 – the highest ever recorded.

In 2025, Apple added the final gem to its crown, becoming the top-selling smartphone brand, outpacing all comers with 20% of the market, according to a report by Counterpoint Research. The iPhone 17 was a big driver, as was Apple’s expansion in emerging and mid-sized markets and a stronger product mix, according to the report.

Yet investors might be surprised to learn just how many markets Apple dominates.

Image source: Getty Images.

AirPods

Among the latest additions to Apple’s growing product lineup, AirPods were initially released less than a decade ago, yet have become a big hit for the company. AirPods lead the true wireless stereo (TWS) market with an estimated 21% of the market in 2025, more than its next three competitors combined.

The latest edition of the device – AirPods Pro 3 – was released in September and boasts better noise cancellation, improved sound quality, and longer battery life. The upgrades are expected to appeal to audiophiles, allowing Apple to gain even more market share.

Apple Watch

The Apple Watch was released to rave reviews when it launched in 2015, earning the title “the best smartwatch you can buy,” at least for anyone with an iPhone. Yet this was just the beginning for the groundbreaking device. By 2019, less than five years later, the company shipped 30.7 million units, as the Apple Watch outsold the entire Swiss watch industry by nearly 10 million units.

Apple continues to dominate the industry it commandeered, controlling an estimated 23% of the market last year.

iPad

Like many Apple products, the iPad wasn’t the first tablet computer. When the first-generation iPad debuted in late March 2010, it wasn’t expected to be a success. Its name was ridiculed throughout the industry, and the jokes were endless. However, it wasn’t long before Apple had the last laugh.

More than 15 million iPads were sold by the end of the year, and it immediately became the market leader. More than 15 years after its launch, the iPad remains the world’s leading tablet and has never ceded its lead. The iPad controlled 45% of the market to close out 2025.

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Apple

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MacBook Air/MacBook Pro

While the MacBook Air doesn’t get as much attention as some of its sibling products, the fact remains, the device is the world’s most popular – and highest-rated – premium laptop. After taking on the consumer market, the MacBook Air was reconfigured for the enterprise market, adding a variety of features to make it indispensable for business users.

The dominance of its MacBooks has helped Apple climb the charts, making it the fourth-largest seller of personal computers in Q4 2025, with 9% of the market. It’s worth noting that Apple gained market share, growing 11.1% and outpacing the market’s 8.1% growth.

Honorable mention

The list wouldn’t be complete without a nod to the iPod, Apple’s first mega-hit. The company decided to discontinue the device in 2022, but not before it left an indelible mark on history.

When the iPod debuted in 2001, founder and then CEO Steve Jobs said, “With iPod, listening to music will never be the same again,” and he couldn’t have been more right. The simple yet elegant design, ease of use, and the click wheel – and later multi-touch display – revolutionized the music industry. The launch of iTunes in 2003 sealed Apple’s market dominance. At its peak, the iPod controlled 74% of the portable music player market.

The release of the iPhone, with its multitasking and music storage capacity, made the humble iPod obsolete, cannibalizing sales and eventually sending it to that big Apple store in the sky.

Epilogue

While you might have thought Apple was a one-trick pony with the dominant iPhone, the company has a growing list of products that lead their respective markets. Not counting the iPod, Apple boasts five market-leading products – when most companies would be content to have just one. Furthermore, the Apple faithful are a fiercely loyal bunch, sticking with the iPhone maker and expanding their use of Apple products once they climb aboard.

Rumors abound about new devices Apple has on the drawing board, including smart glasses, a pendant, and a new version of AirPods, all designed with expanded artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, according to Bloomberg. CEO Tim Cook was quoted as saying Apple is working on new “categories of products,” fueled by AI. “We’re extremely excited about that,” Cook said.

At 33 times earnings, Apple isn’t the least expensive of the Magnificent Seven stocks, but it isn’t the most expensive either. However, given the company’s growing roster of market-leading products – and the apps and services that support them – I think Apple stock is still a buy.