[braythwayt]

Dare I say it can be both? Some things are "virtuous cycles." You get updates, and in your experience those updates add value, which increases your expectation of value should you stick with this phone and possibly replace it with another of the same brand.

That IS brand loyalty, generated by delivering value, not just fancy advertising. And conversely, the experience customers have with their phone gives them certain expectations should they buy the matching AirPods rather than Bose or even B&O.

When it turns out that the AirPods have special integration with their iPhone, it sets up positive expectations for buying an iPad. And on and on.

The value creates brand loyalty, and the brand loyalty leads consumers to buy more products from the same brand, which increases their value because of the integration within the ecosystem.

When the brand is actually delivering the value, it's a virtuous cycle: value -> brand loyalty -> more value -> more brand loyalty.

[RandoHolmes]

Apple products are a bit special in that the integration has always been a huge part of their value.

[braythwayt]

And that goes back to Macintosh 128K.

Obviously, Apple stole mice and bitmapped graphics and GUIs from Xerox Parc. But a huge part of their pitch for MacOS in the early days was integration between apps on the platform.

Consistency of UX meant that there was lower friction for adopting new apps. Integration between apps such as being able to copy and paste text between apps from different vendors was a revelation by the consumer microcomputer standards of the day.